


Ascension of the Fallen

by Cypher_09



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:59:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 52,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cypher_09/pseuds/Cypher_09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A storm ripped apart the world that we all hold so dear. All that there is left to do is pick up the pieces. Less than five percent of the worlds population remain and ever day is a competition for resources and shelter. When a common enemy and powerful stranger arrive, will it be enough to bring humanity back together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The storm

The storm came out of nowhere. Every channel on the TV had been taken over by an emergency news broadcast. A lightning storm sprung up in the skies above town, bringing with it hurricane force winds and earth shaking bouts of thunder.

"Right now meteorologists are still unsure of how such a large storm system was able to strike without any kind of warning, but the national weather center has declared a state of emergency for the entire southern half of the country. We ask that everyone remain indoors and make all possible preparations in the event of a power outage."

"Did you hear that guys?" I asked, referring to the cat cowering in my lap and the huge German shepherd that sat trembling against my legs. "It almost sounds like the end of the world or something" I added with an uneasy laugh. A creeping sense of anxiety had slowly begun to take root within me. A streak of lightning flashed across the sky outside of my sliding glass door. I instinctively pulled Mr. Whiskers a little higher on my chest, bracing for the boom.

The thunder struck no more than a second after the flash. The sound was deafening, but the worst part was the shockwave that followed. The entire building shook from the force. The lights in my small one bedroom apartment flickered in their valiant attempt to survive. It seemed like every crash of thunder threatened the power grid. It was only a matter of time before nature would win over technology. I already had some candles lit just in case.

I absentmindedly stroked bears head in an attempt to calm the terrified dog. "You know for a guard dog you really are kind of a wimp." bear gave a slight whimper as he dropped his massive head on my thigh. "Such a mama's boy" I kidded.

Lightning suddenly began to dance ceaselessly across the blanket of clouds that draped over the night sky. Thunder clapped sporadically, seemingly unable to keep pace with its flashy counterpart. I stood up and walked over to the glass door overlooking the small wooden balcony. I had never witnessed something so beautiful. Car alarms had begun to add their calls to that of the wind and thunder from somewhere down below. They were surprisingly quiet considering how close the parking lot was. Goosebumps sprouted along the length of my body and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. You could almost taste the static in the air. A fraction of a second later a bolt of lightning struck the ground no more than a quarter of a mile away. As it connected, the world went dark. Technology had failed in its struggle with the elements.

Bone rattling, ear splitting thunder immediately followed shaking me to my very core. I dropped to the ground and covered my ears in hopes of muffling the sound. Rain started falling in a violent torrent, as if somewhere a flood gate had opened, leaving the world to deal with its former burden. Trees swayed and groaned in the ever increasing violence of the onslaught. The world was under attack.

Lightning continued its majestic dance overhead, while constantly gracing the world with its touch. Columns of lightning rained down as far as the eye could see. This was the apocalypse. It had to be. I couldn't think of another explanation as I sat huddled on the ground with my hands clutched tightly over my ears. It was impossible to pull my eyes away from the ominous sight before me. A sudden crash rang out as the sliding glass door shattered only inches from my face, no longer able to withstand the beating of the wind and the rattle of the thunder. I screamed and threw my arms up over my face as shards of glass cascaded around me in a waterfall of glimmering daggers.

Tiny cuts blossomed all across my exposed skin as the wind and water, no longer held at bay, ripped at my hair and clothes. Tears began to well in my eyes, not from pain but rather the stinging wind and rain that now buffeted my face. I scrambled blindly backward into my apartment away from the vengeful assault.  
I stopped only when I reached the wall that separated the living room from my bedroom. Now only a light mist managed to caress my skin. The candles I had lit were snuffed out by the gale leaving only the lightning to grant visibility. Panic gripped my chest forcing my breaths to come in forced gasps. A deep chill had sunken deep into my bones sending shivers racing uncontrollably throughout my body. Had that really just happened?

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them in a futile attempt to fight the sudden cold. My mind raced as I attempted to formulate some kind of response to what was happening all around me. The screaming of the storm and unyielding bouts of thunder forcefully disrupted my already scattered thoughts. Something nudged my arm, small, wet, and trembling. Mr. Whiskers clawed at my leg, silently begging for my protection. A panic stricken “meow” helped to shatter the veil that panic had slipped over my eyes. I hadn’t even noticed I dropped him in my fear driven panic.

“Come on Alex pull yourself together” I whispered to myself. I glanced quickly around and noticed Bear hiding pathetically under the table. The poor dog was terrified of thunder, and tonight Mother Nature had it in ample supply. I scooped up the traumatized Mr. Whiskers and rushed to the bedroom door. Bear pushed past me the second it opened and rushed into the room ahead of me.

Two candles danced in the darkness providing a warm calming atmosphere in the midst of the chaos. I moved to drop Mr. Whiskers on the bed but he refused to let go of my shirt. After a few futile attempts I had no choice but to concede. There were more important things to worry about than fumbling with a wet ball of fur.  
I checked the window wondering if this one would hold out better than the door had. I looked around the room, searching for anything to cover it with just in case. My foot caught on something as I maneuvered around the bed sending me flailing into the wall. Bear gave a surprised yelp, letting me know exactly what my foot had struck. Dim lighting didn’t seem to improve my clumsiness any. Bear’s body stuck halfway out from under the bed. He whined incessantly as he fought to free himself from its clutches.

“Damn it dog. What are you trying to do?” I said vehemently “You’ve never been able to fit under there” This was just my luck. The storm of the century raging outside, and a dog that was unknowingly attempting to kill me inside.

I moved to the edge of the bed and, with my one free hand, lifted the corner of the bed frame as far off the ground as I could. A few painstaking seconds ticked by before Bear was finally able to pull himself free.

“You make my life a lot more difficult than it needs to be sometimes.” I huffed “I knew I should have gotten girls instead”  
He wagged his tail in response.

“You’re hopeless” I sighed.

An orange flash of light suddenly illuminated the room. I turned back to the window and froze, completely awestruck by the sight before me. The sky was on fire. It was as if the clouds had housed some flammable gas and when the lightning struck it erupted into a crimson inferno. I stood captivated by the sight until I made the frightful realization...it was now flames that rained from the sky.

Steam rose from the ground in an impenetrable cloud. The thin layer of rainwater that had drenched the earth was withering quickly away before my eyes. I found myself wishing that I had taken some kind of drug, a hallucinogen that could be to blame for this phenomenon. It can’t rain fire. Fire needed something to use as fuel. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when the first glimpses of real fires could be seen through the quickly thinning haze. The sudden wave of heat had made short work of the small protective layer of water that had accumulated.

I stood transfixed by the impossibility of the sight unfolding before my eyes. The flames continued to fall from the sky, wave after wave, as the flames on the ground grew higher and higher, reaching desperately to be united with the burning sky. Thunder continued to ring out as lightning battled with the burning clouds for dominance overhead.

An unfamiliar beeping from somewhere in the apartment made me jump. It took me a moment to recognize the alarming wail of the smoke detector. That could only mean one thing. My apartment could now be counted among the victims of the flames. My apartment was burning. No, the world was burning.

My thoughts raced as panic gripped my chest once more. Where could anyone find safety when fire fell from the sky? My gaze drifted back to the window as hopelessness took root in the pit of my stomach.

Outside the misconstrued shapes of people running from their burning homes could be seen through the billowing towers of smoke. They took to the streets before falling to the ground, caught in the firestorms deadly embrace. For a few moments faint screams could be heard as the figures flailed around in an attempt to extinguish the flames. Before long their movements would cease and the screams would fade. Men, women, children…the fire didn’t discriminate. Hell had arrived, and its wrath spared no one.

My vision blurred as tears began to stream down my face. I wasn’t sure if it was from the sight unfolding before me or the distinct stinging of the smoke that had begun to permeate the room The heat had begun to take its toll as well as beads of sweat began racing down my face, mixing with the tears. It was strange how only a short time before I had been shivering from a deep rooted chill. The world had been thrown out of its natural order. Why couldn’t I just wake up and realize that this was all just a freakish nightmare?

“Please God….save us” I whispered aloud.

Bear began pacing the room, whining and panting all the while. If the heat was already this bad for me, the poor dog must be smoldering. I glanced at Mr. Whiskers, who still appeared terror stricken, clinging to my shirt. A violent coughing spasm ambushed me, forcing me to lean heavily on the wall and slide to the ground. I was trapped.

My vision drifted back to the sky outside as it was the only thing available from my vantage point. I clumsily wiped away my tears only to have the flow renewed moments later. Was I really going to let things end this way? Just accept this while I lay here sobbing on the floor? This wasn’t fair.

I stood up and ripped Mr. Whiskers from my chest. I didn’t have the time to be patient with him anymore. We needed to get out of here. I tossed him onto the bed and ran to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and was headed back out the door before the water had even begun to fall from the spout. Jumping into a tub full of water during a lightning storm was probably one of the worst ideas there was, but I was out of options.

I ran to my closet. Layers, I needed lots of layers. I had six hoodies and two smaller jackets. I was going to need them all. I walked to my dresser and pulled out the only four pairs of sweatpants I owned and pulled them quickly on over the hello-kitty pajamas. I felt like a marshmallow once I was finished. If I had been sweating before, then now I guess you could say I had sprung a leak because water was pouring out of every orifice on my body

“Bear come on boy” I called as I headed back towards the bathroom

He followed me to the doorway and stopped dead in his tracks. He had always hated bath time. I guess I shouldn’t have expected any different this time. I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards the shower.

I was glad I had remembered to leave a candle in here when I was preparing for the storm or it’s likely that I would have died right here. Forcing a full grown German shepherd into the bathtub was hard enough when you could see. Doing it in the dark would have been nearly impossible. As soon as the freezing cold water wet his fur though, his entire demeanor underwent a drastic transformation. He jumped the rest of the way into the tub without the slightest bit of resistance.  
I guess you could say that I fell into the tub with him, but I prefer the phrase, shallow water diving practice. I gasped as the ice cold water enveloped my body. Another fit of coughing sprung upon me as the smoke filled my lungs. The spasm passed and I focused on soaking every part of my layered body in the freezing water. Once that was finished it was Bear’s turn.

I got out and grabbed a towel from under the sink and dropped it in the water. I had no idea if my plan was going to work. All I could really do was hope. Staying here meant dying, either by the fire or from the smoke. Hopefully all these layers being wet down would protect me from the storm outside. At least long enough to get somewhere safe anyway. I grabbed the towel and headed back into the bedroom.

Mr. Whiskers sat in the same spot that I had left him. His head jerked from side to side as if he was expecting to see a predator stalking him in the shadows cast by the flickering candles. They were almost useless compared to the amount of light coming in from the window. I wrapped him in the wet towel, ignoring the frantic complaints he spat at me.

I slipped my feet into the UGG boots that I left just beneath the edge of my bed. I wasn’t trying to make a fashion statement or anything. They were just the only boots that I owned and somehow I didn’t think that sneakers or heels would be the best choice for current conditions. It was surprisingly hard to move in the numerous layers of wet clothes. The added weight of the water didn’t help anything either.

I held Mr. Whiskers tightly to my chest and trudged back to the bathroom and turned off the water.  
“Alright Bear it’s time to go.” I said as I turned to leave.

The dog excitedly jumped out of the tub splashing water all over the ground. Normally I would have been pissed, I didn’t see the point in getting upset this time however. I mean I had left a very visible wet trail throughout my bedroom already so a little more wasn’t going to hurt anything.

My feet had grown heavy from all the water that had pooled in my boots already. This was going to be difficult. I stopped at my bedroom door and tried to desperately think of anything else that might come in handy. I had never made a disaster kit for raining fire so nothing really came to mind and at this point I don’t think that a fire extinguisher was really going to do the trick.

I used my teeth to pull my sleeve down over my hand before reaching for the door handle. This was it. There would be no turning back or deciding I didn’t want to go. The smoke stung my eyes and my breathing was already heavy. Adrenaline and fear pumped relentlessly through my veins as I mentally prepared myself. There wasn’t any more time to stall. I turned the handle and swung the door open.

The fire had already consumed the majority of my apartment. The living room was, in all sense of the word, destroyed. Directly in front of me was the small island that separated my kitchen from the rest of the apartment. It also seemed to serve as the divider for the fire. The tile floor seemed to slow the fires progress but it was quickly climbing the walls and would no doubt make its way around to the last of my home.

I grabbed Bear’s collar and guided him through the small expanse of the kitchen. He only slightly resisted me, which made things surprisingly easy. Just beyond the island stood the door that led out to the hallway of my building. Thankfully the fire hadn’t quite made it far enough to cut us off. The smoke was thicker out here and my body was wrought with wave after wave of coughing spasms. The heat coming off the fire was intense. If I hadn’t been completely covered in wet clothing I would probably already have burns on my arms.

We made it into the hallway without incident and were immediately relieved to see that none of the fires had made it this far. The smoke seemed to thin out drastically as well. This bit of relief was quickly drowned out by the wailing of the sirens and incessant blinking of the strobe lights that indicated a building wide fire evacuation. I guess the emergency power was working.

In the hallway we experienced a whole new form of chaos. People were screaming, children were crying, and dogs were barking. Add that to the echoing screech of the alarm and flashing lights and you had the perfect ingredients for pandemonium. I glanced down at Bear and saw his tail tucked tightly between his legs. The poor guy was terrified.

There were two stairwells that led to the ground level of my third floor apartment and the elevator was obviously going to be out of the question. The main stairwell was at the far end of the hallway directly in front of me. The secondary was down the hallway to my left and around the corner. I was going to have to choose.  
Other residents of the building scrambled about in every direction. Some came out into the hall only to turn immediately back around and take refuge in their still standing apartments. With so much commotion going on it was impossible to tell which rout would be less crowded.

I started down the left hallway, keeping a firm hold on Bears collar as I walked. Mr. Whiskers still firmly secured in the soaked towel pressed against my chest. Bear’s intimidating appearance made navigating the panic stricken crowd relatively easy. Most people took one look at him and at least made an attempt to remove themselves from our path.

Bear was a medically retired police dog so he was very well disciplined. This made guiding him unbelievably easy despite the thirty pounds of water soaked clothes that weighed me down and slowed my movements. I probably didn’t even have to hold on to him but I was a firm believer that it was better to be safe than sorry.  
The deafening scream of the fire alarm in the stairwell made the ones in the hallway seem inviting. Being in the cramped space amplified the horrid sound making it seem like an unyielding shriek rather than a pulsating alarm. I found myself involuntarily clenching my teeth. Bear’s ears lay pinned flat to the back of his head as the sound pierced his head. I had no doubt that he was whining but it was impossible to hear. This was pure torture for him. Beams of light permeated the darkness between the flashes from the alarm. It seemed like everyone but me had thought to grab a flashlight. Then again I wasn’t really given much time to vacate my apartment.

I quickly jumped in line behind one such flashlight wielding individual as he made the downward climb to the ground floor. I had never really noticed how many people my building had housed until just now. Everyone seemed desperate to get to the lobby. I wonder if they all knew something I didn’t?

The last flight of steps to the ground floor was crammed full of people trying to push their way through the single doorway. It had to have taken ten minutes to get through. The harshness of the siren was slightly abated by the larger room filled wall to wall with a countless number of people. Everyone had been in such a hurry to get here, yet it didn’t seem like they knew what to do or where to go now that they had made it this far.

How long would it be before the fires followed suit? My apartment couldn’t have been the only one that was burning. We were trapped between the firestorm and the actual fire. It almost sounded like a bad horror story.

I searched the crowd for familiar faces and to get a general assessment of how people were dealing with the freakish situation. Some were covered in burns, others wore dilapidated clothing mutilated by the fire, yet others seemed to have escaped without as much as a hair out of place. I was lucky to count myself among one of the latter.

I wonder how many of the burn victims had attempted to brave the storm outside like I was about to. Doubts started to fill my mind as I saw the ash trodden faces of those around me. Everyone seemed to be crying and fits of coughing broke out in shorter and shorter intervals.

I weaved through the ever thickening throng of people until the front door was clearly in sight. I looked out the windows that only this morning had been portals to a beautiful sunny day. Now the sight terrified me. I began to tremble as I scanned the outside for anything that wasn’t burning, but to no avail. The grass, the trees, houses, buildings, even the cars…all of it had become fuel for in insatiable monster. The sidewalks and streets held the only immunity to the fiery plague.

Ricky, a local cop that had taken up residence on the ground floor, barred the door. He seemed unwavering in his stance that no one should leave.  
“…listen I don’t care who you are trying to find. Going out there means you die. Plain and simple. Just wait here until things settle down a bit and the fire department has a chance to start doing their jobs.” He yelled over the mass of bodies.

“Are you serious? This building is on fire. We can’t sit here and just wait it out. Staying isn’t any better.” Protested a voice from the crowd.

“If you stay here at least you will live long enough to find out! Going out there will only get you killed faster. Staying here is the best chance that we have.” Ricky responded.

“How about you step aside and let us make that decision for ourselves.” I yelled out “If we die out there it will only serve to prove your point anyway.”

If looks could kill, we would have a mass murder on our hands. Ricky seemed to be struggling to come up with a better argument all the while glaring at anyone that he thought was too close to the door. After a few minutes of stalling his shoulders slightly slumped and he stepped to the side of the door. Sweat poured down from the top of his bald head making his dark skin glisten.

“Fine, I’m done arguing with a bunch of people with a death wish.” He turned and started to storm away. He halted mid step and turned back towards us.  
“Where the hell are you going to go anyway? It’s not like you can just run across the street and escape this shit storm.” A smug smile dominated his face as if he had just won some kind of award. “Look out those windows. Is there anything you can see that ISN’T on fire? The shits falling from the sky for Christ sake. And you actually WANT to go out there?” He finally fell silent, his smile replaced with a bewildered look.

“If we can get to the high school we could be safe” a tall boy next to me shouted out. “It’s only one story so we don’t have to worry about it eventually caving in on us. And everything but the classrooms themselves has concrete floors and walls. The cafeteria is even big enough to fit everyone here.”  
Voices shouted out in agreement with the young man.

“So you are telling me that you plan to walk three quarters of a mile through raining fire in hopes that some teenage kid knows what the fuck he’s talking about? Have you all lost your damn minds?”

Ricky now looked legitimately confused. It was impossible to explain why I wanted to brave the storm when so much of our survival rested on luck and the faith that this kid knew what he was talking about. I couldn’t just sit here though and accept that there was nothing I could do. If we stayed we would either be burned alive or the building would eventually come crashing down around us. You could already hear groans coming from the weakening supports in the walls.

No one else seemed to have the conviction left to challenge Ricky’s resistance. He had a sound point, but I was stubborn. I wouldn’t just sit around and wait to die. I’d take my chances with the school. I knew I was going to end up out in the storm one way or another. At least now I had a direction to travel in. Surely all the layers of soaking wet clothes would last long enough to get me there. I walked quietly to the door and let go of Bear for a moment so I could reach for the door handle.

“Are you seriously that stupid?” Ricky asked me “You still think you are better off out there?”

“At least I’ll be doing something instead of sitting here twiddling my thumbs.” I replied.

I instantly regretted touching that door handle. I yanked my hand away only to watch as bits of flesh stuck to the metal. Who does that when you can SEE the fire on the other side of the door? That’s just what you want to happen when you are trying to have your defiant moment.

“Fuck!” I screamed as I pressed my palm against the cool wet fabric on my stomach. That hurt. No hurt doesn’t even do it justice. This was agony. How could I be so stupid? We sit here talking about the fire for ten minutes then I go around acting like things won’t be hot enough to burn me with a single touch. Who does that? Oh right….this girl, right here.

“Do you see what I’m trying to say now?” Ricky proclaimed “You expect to make it all the way to the school when you can’t even make it out the front door.”  
He did sort of have a point.  
“I’m not asking anyone to come with me. I just know that I can’t stay here.”

I once again used my teeth to pull my sleeve down over my hand. The bleeding, blotchy skin screamed in protest as the fabric rubbed against it. I quickly turned the handle and stepped out into the searing heat before Ricky had another chance to criticize my decision. Bear following at my heels.

I immediately started running, keeping my back hunched all the while to keep my exposed face and Mr. Whiskers shielded from the droplets of fire. The poor cat no longer struggled as I held him clasped tightly to my chest.The air was thick with smoke and it didn't take long for my breathing to grow heavy. Fits of coughing regularly wracked my body turning my run into more of a stumbling attempt to remain on my feet. It was a strait shot to the school, so as long as I stayed on the road I wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.  
Bear trotted frantically ahead of me, occasionally looking back to see if I was still following. Water dripped from his still soaking fur and to my dismay, evaporated before it ever made it to the ground. Our little bit of protection wasn’t going to last long.

As small amounts of water were falling off of Bears thick fur, even more fire was landing on him. At first the flames went out on contact leaving little puffs of steam or smoke, but as we continued to make our way down the road he began to give off the occasional pain stricken yelp.

I myself had begun to feel the heat resonating from my back and knew that my outer layer was probably about to catch fire, if it hadn’t already. With any luck the other layers still retained enough water to combat the flames.

I tried to hurry but fits of coughing toyed ceaselessly with my lungs as my breathing grew heavier. My legs burned from the exertion, or was it from the fire? At this point I really couldn’t tell. The added weight of the water only served to make things more difficult as well. My arms sagged from the weight of Mr. Whiskers and I soon began to worry if I really did have a chance of making it. How far had I even come?

My feet felt unusually heavy and it wasn’t until I smelled the burning rubber and heard the distinct sound of something sticky being ripped off of a solid surface that I realized the bottoms of my boots were melting to the pavement. That meant that bear’s yelps of pain probably weren’t from the raining fire, but from the burning hot pavement on his feet. The longer I ran the more I convinced myself that this was suicide. Not only for me, but for Bear and Mr. Whiskers as well. They hadn’t chose this. I dragged them into it.

Bear danced along the ground in front of me. His yelps no longer had a slight spacing between them. His fur had begun to smolder as the last bit of water dried away. His yelps transformed into screams causing my heart to fill with an overwhelming sense of dread and guilt. I tucked my head a little harder and sprinted with everything that I had in me.

“BEAR!” I screamed

I glanced quickly up to see if he had heard me. We had made it further than I had realized while my head was down. The school was no more than a stone’s throw away. Its flagpole loomed just ahead and to my right was the courtyard and the big double doors that led to the cafeteria.

I sprinted towards the courtyard doors, screaming for Bear all the while. I could faintly hear the sound of his paws on the pavement between his pain driven wails. The horrid sound sent a river of chills down my spine.

I reached the door and tore at the handle, so desperate in my panic that I once again forgot to cover my hand with my sleeve. I ignored the searing pain in my panic, but the door wouldn’t budge. It was locked. I glanced back to see bear flinching away as each new ember fell on his now exposed skin. What little fur remained on him was aflame.

I pulled Mr. Whiskers a little tighter to my chest. It wouldn’t end like this. I took several steps back before hurling myself at the full length window that stood next to the door. I lowered my shoulder and hit the widow with the full weight of my body. The impact was devastating and sent me crashing to the ground.

A spider web of cracks streaked across the smooth surface of the glass from the point where my shoulder made contact. My entire arm screamed in agony and as I struggled to stand once more. I glanced down and noticed that my arm hung uselessly at my side. I didn’t have time to evaluate the damage. I picked myself up, motivated by Bears screams, and once again lunged at the glass.

There was surprisingly little resistance this time as the window shattered all around me. My knee was the first thing to hit the hard concrete floor, causing another explosion of pain that blurred my vision. The glass fragments skated every which way along the ground as I landed in a heap on the floor. Another fit of coughing overcame me throwing my world into a frenzied spiral.

Once everything stopped spinning I watched as Bear hobbled slowly throughout the newly formed doorway. He collapsed next to me on the bed of broken glass, giving off the occasional weak whimper, his patchy fur still smoldering in the few places that it still covered.  
I dropped Mr. Whiskers onto the cold floor and yanked at the towel that he had been wrapped securely inside of using only my uninjured arm. Every movement that I made earned a pain laced protest from my body. My skin burned, my knee wouldn’t move properly and my left arm still hung useless at my side. I painstakingly pulled myself closer to bear and immediately started smothering the flames.  
As the final tendrils of smoke rose from his mutilated body an intense heat began to sear my lower back. I unzipped the two outer layer jackets and awkwardly shrugged them from my body. When the heat continued to sear my flesh I dropped desperately to the ground and rolled to my back in hopes of smothering the fire that had no doubt taken root there.

As the heat faded I allowed exhaustion to finally take its toll on me. I lay perfectly still aside from the occasional sob or coughing fit that jolted my body. I don’t know how long I was there, but finally a high pitched whine from Bear plucked me from my trance.

His exposed skin was blotchy and blistered. Puss and blood mixed to run freely from some of the more severe areas. Tears continued their journey down my ash covered face as I watched the living nightmare that played out before me.

Bear was the best friend I ever had. My body began to shake as my sobs grew in strength. His miserable whines were the only indicator that he was still alive. I wanted more than anything to take away his suffering.

The wind outside suddenly sprang back to life with renewed vigor. The fires roared stronger than before, dancing in tune to the wind’s powerful gusts. I glanced out at the sky and watched as the burning sky began to turn. Terror clutched my chest stopping my breath. The spiraling clouds slowly began reaching towards the ground. This couldn’t be happening.The scene before me played out as if in slow motion. The swirling, burning clouds continued to turn faster and faster, red fingers reaching to take hold of the earth. I had never been a religious person, but if there was a god, he was angry with us. And this…this was judgment.


	2. Newcomers

Alex woke with a start. It had been three years since the storm had wreaked havoc on the Earth and yet she still had nightmares about it. She glanced around the large warehouse at all the others who remained sleeping in their beds. Sleep wouldn’t be gracing her with its presence again tonight. She slowly reached down and massaged her knee trying to alleviate the dull ache that had taken up residence during her fitful sleep.

She slowly made her way towards the front of the warehouse. Hobbling slightly on her bad knee. She wasn’t sure who was on post right now but she had might as well offer them an early relief. The occasional head shifted in her direction as she passed by the different beds sprawled in haphazard rows all along the floor. Everyone was a light sleeper anymore.

When she reached the end of the row she took an immediate right and headed through the doorway labeled “stairs”. She grimaced in protest as she neared the first step. Her knee didn’t handle stairs very well and she would have to take several breaks along the way up. It was four flights to the roof and she could generally make it with only three stops. Today however, was probably going to require a fourth.

As Alex reached the top steps the brisk night air lightly caressed her face. It wouldn’t be too much longer until it started getting really cold at night and their rain storms would turn to snow. Alex hated the cold. It left a never ending ache in both her knee and her shoulder that pre-storm no one her age would normally have had to deal with. Back then they had medications and treatments that made you better.

Grim was the one on post. Grim wasn’t his real name, but that’s what he called himself and no one knew him from before the storm so they generally just accepted it. He called his rifle reaper which everyone took as a bad joke but it if you ever got the chance to see him shoot you completely understood why the name fit. Alex had never seen him miss. If you were ever unfortunate enough to find yourself in his cross hairs you didn’t have much longer to live.

“Add any notches to your rifle tonight there big guy?” Alex asked.

“Not unless you're volunteering” he replied with a wicked grin.

She hated his sense of humor. It was so dry that sometimes you really just couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not.

“You wouldn’t shoot me”

“You’re probably right. No point in shooting a gimp. I might have to remove a notch for that.” he said with a chuckle.

That was another thing about Grim, nothing was off limits when it came to his jokes.

“Well I can’t sleep so I’ll take up post if you want to go catch a couple extra hours.”

Grim stood without saying a word. He was never one to pass up on sleep. It was hard to tell when he was sitting down, but Grim was big. Not in the tall sense, but more wide. He didn’t get more food than anyone else in the compound so no one really understood why he never lost weight. Everyone else looked as if they could use a couple extra pounds. No one really said anything about it though because it didn’t interfere with his ability to help out, except for Deckland anyway. Deckland was just an asshole all around though.

“Where’s Bear?” Alex asked.

“Deckland came about five minutes ago to take him on his nightly walk. I think he got into something he shouldn’t have. Damn dog almost gassed me out more than once.” Grim complained.

“Are you sure that you didn’t just catch a whiff of yourself there for a second”

“Well I’m not dead so I’m pretty sure it was him.”

Grim walked the rest of the way to the stairs in silence. He wasn’t the most social person you could ever meet.

Alex turned and looked out past the gate that surrounded their warehouse. They hadn’t come under attack in a few months which made her feel a little uneasy. Not because she didn’t enjoy the peace and quiet, but because it probably meant that the bandits were planning something. Food and water were scarce. People killed one another for them without so much as a second thought. Luckily enough this warehouse used to be a canned food plant so they had plenty in the beginning. It also meant they had the means to collect rainwater. By the time the food became limited they had managed to start growing their own food. There wasn't much variety in their meals and their rations had to be strictly limited, but they were still much better off than most.

The rest of the night was quiet. Night time had become a little strange since the storm wiped out the majority of the world. It was always eerily quiet since almost all of the wild life and insects had been wiped out. There was still the occasional howl way off in the distance or squeak of a mouse, but otherwise there wasn't much sound at all.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Alex looked down at Bear as he lay sprawled in the morning sun. The poor dog’s fur never really grew back because of all the burns. The fact that he lived alone was a miracle. For all anyone knew he was the last domesticated dog in the world. No one at the compound had seen any others. Most of the population was made up of travelers that had decided to take up residence, so that was really saying something. He wasn’t the cute fuzzy thing he had once been, but that didn’t stop him from lifting people’s spirits when he came around. Plus he was an invaluable asset to the watches at night. He is the reason they hadn’t been overrun yet. They always had a heads up if anyone was approaching.

Bear’s head suddenly jerked to attention. He sat motionless for a moment before making his way over to the roofs edge. Alex gazed out in the direction he was looking. The bright sun made it impossible for her to see whatever had caught his attention. He let out a solitary bark. Alex raised her rifle to her shoulder at the sound. She might not be able to see anyone, but the sight of weapons pointed in your direction was often times enough to make anyone unwelcome second guess themselves. The roaming guards that had been walking their routs all appeared at their posts on the front of the building, their weapons ready.

Bear let out a few more barks before falling into an agitated state of whines. There was definitely someone out there. Slowly a figure could be seen approaching the front gates. He didn’t appear to be holding anything in his hands which were both stretched out over his head in submission. He walked slowly, making no sudden movements. From her vantage point Alex was still unable to make out any of the strangers other features however.

“That’s far enough” called a voice from the ground below. The stranger came to a halt without any hesitation.

It had been a while since they had seen a traveler. Especially one that traveled alone. People tended to travel in groups anymore with the constant threat of bandits and raiders.

“What are you doing here?” Called the sentry on the ground

“I’m not looking for any trouble” came the stranger’s reply. “I’m just looking for shelter.”

“Are you armed” The guards would follow the compound leader’s protocol from here out. While the sentry at the gate questioned the ones seeking entry the rest of the guards would scan the area for anything that might indicate an ambush. It wouldn’t be the first time a distraction was sent to the front while a small group tried to break in from the back. Bear was all that had saved them the first time it happened.

Alex did a slow, detailed sweep of the area from her spot on the roof while the conversation below continued. Nothing seemed out of place. The sound of metal scraping against metal caught her attention. They were opening the gate before she had given the all clear. Impatient assholes. They had better pray this wasn’t a trap. Alex trained her rifle back on the newcomer. If he was hostile, he would show it soon enough.

A team of four guards advanced towards the person that Alex assumed was a man simply by the tone of his voice. The glare of the sun prevented her from making out any of his features. Her finger hovered over the trigger, the cross hairs resting in the very center of the dark mass that would be her target. She was watching for any sudden movements. A split second could be the difference in saving one of the squad members down below. When it came to safety their rules were clear, shoot first, ask questions later. Sadly they were very willing to risk accidentally killing someone that meant them no harm than reacting too slowly in the event that their guards were in danger. That’s just how the world was now. No one questioned it.

The man was motionless with his hands remaining in the air as he talked to the squad that approached him. He didn’t have a bag with supplies. They were at least a few days away from the nearest compound. Something wasn’t right Alex thought. First he was traveling alone, now he had no supplies. That just didn’t make any sense.

The leader of the guard team turned and held both of his arms up, making an “x” with his forearms. The sign meant something was about to happen and it wasn’t to be taken as hostile. Basically they gave him permission to move and Alex shouldn’t shoot him for it. The team all raised their weapons in a different direction. They were on alert for more newcomers. The man had most likely been sent forward as a sentry to make sure that this compound was safe. The rest were hiding, waiting to see how he was received before showing themselves. This was a common trend among travelers as well. Everyone was suspicious of others, even those seeking help. The man moved one arm, Alex couldn’t tell what he was doing but she was sure that this was the movement that the team had authorized him to make. A shrill whistle rang out for about five seconds before his call fell silent. Alex moved her aim away from the man and began scanning for any other figures that would emerge.

Being a part of the advance team was dangerous. They were all out there, exposed and vulnerable to incoming fire. Aside from those four the lookout provided an elevated view of the situation while two more walking sentries stood at alert in two different fortified positions. Then there were two gate guards in a small fortified trenches on either side of the gate. The amount of firepower was impressive for this day and age.

There had never been an attack that overcame them in the two years that they had operated this way. Not many were stupid enough to try anymore. Their reputation had spread as one of the safest places in the surrounding area and it drew a lot of refugees. It was nice to bolster their numbers, but it created a lot more security risks, and limited their food rations even further. Alex feared for the day that they let the wrong ones slip through. It was only a matter of time really.

A small figure slowly came into view. As the silhouette approached the group its slight stumbling and quick leg movement made it undeniable clear. It was a child. Probably the youngest Alex had seen since the storm. The sun still made it impossible to make out too many details but the bulge on the figures back was clearly unnatural. Most likely a pack of some sort. That explained why the man wasn’t carrying anything. Alex’s feeling of unease slowly started to fade.

Suddenly from behind the child more figures started to appear. There ended up being seven in all, including the first man and the child, a decent size for a traveling group. They all deposited their packs into a small pile and their weapons into a pile next to it and proceeded to line up shoulder to shoulder. Two guards began frisking the refugees while the other two stood guard.

Eventually they would all be lead inside to a holding room. Their belongings would also be searched and stored until their owners were either deemed trustworthy or decided to leave. Richard was the one that made the rules, and he firmly believed that everyone deserved to have a way to defend themselves so one way or another all of the weapons would be returned to their rightful owners.

Alex remained on post until her relief came around noon. It was a long, hot day but thankfully uneventful. The only activity had been the group that arrived that morning. Her thoughts drifted down to those in the holding room. She knew that the visitors hadn’t been allowed to leave yet. They would be held there until nightfall. That way if any of them were hostile he would have no way of signaling to his companions without also alerting the guards. Most times the intruder would become anxious in the holding room. Generally believing that they had been caught since they weren’t permitted to leave a small room secured by armed guards. They would reveal themselves just through paranoia.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Alex woke to someone lightly shaking her shoulder. Her eyes darted open to find Grim residing over her.

“They are about to brief the toddlers. Your name is on the escort list.” He said lightly

“You’re kidding me” Alex groaned sleepily. She was not in the mood to babysit an outsider today. Plus if they were just getting to the briefing that meant she had only been asleep for a few hours. Escort duty almost ensured that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep the rest of the night.

“Why do they have someone as ugly as you waking people up in the middle of the night? Especially when it’s to give people this kind of news? That combination might just kill someone someday.”

“I guess Richard figures it will scare them too much to be able to fall back asleep” Grim’s voice was completely flat as he spoke. He silently turned and walked down the row of beds looking for his next victim.

The guards waiting outside the holding room grumbled sleepily to one another. No one liked babysitting newcomers. It meant little sleep and following people around to places you usually didn’t want to go for hours on end. You even had to follow them into the bathroom and wait outside the stall. Granted it was a security measure that had saved them on countless occasions but that didn’t make it any less tedious. Sometimes you could get lucky and end up with someone that hadn’t slept their entire time in holding and simply wanted somewhere to lie down for the remainder of the night, but that didn’t happen very often.

Richard arrived wearing his usual black trench coat. No one understood why he wore it during the summer months, but Alex suspected it was to conceal the various weapons that he carried with him at all times. His hair was patchy and his face was riddled with burn scars. It was rare to find anyone that hadn’t been burned back in the storm. When fire rains from the sky not too many places can provide shelter from its pain riddled embrace. He wore an eye patch over the left side of his face to keep people from having to gaze at the misshapen mass that, at one point, was the twin to the almost golden brown eye on the right.

Despite his rugged appearance, Richard was an incredible leader. He was the one that developed all of the security protocols that ensure their compounds continued prosperity. He wasn’t as functional as he would have liked, but what he lacked in physical support he made up for in cunning. His tactics were ruthless and effective. If you weren’t willing to follow his security protocol you were either shot or banished. Neither was a very pleasant fate. Some say he is a tyrant, but Alex had been with him from the very beginning and knew better. Everything that he, did he did for the protection of the people. Not just to exercise his own power. Experience had driven him to these lengths.

Richard stopped and looked over the group of escorts. His one good eye sweeping up and down the line, ensuring that everyone was up to his standards. Sadly most of them weren’t, but it was all he had at the moment. They were hurting for security. Each carried a semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm pistol. Hidden under their shirts were two combat knives and a pulsing flare. Most of them believed that being so well armed was a little over the top, but in reality Richard did it so that even current residents of the compound would be reminded that the guards were quite capable of carrying out their responsibilities. He was putting on a show for a more than just the toddlers.

“We’ve got seven new ones. I only made six of you get out of bed because one of them is a little girl that will be tagging along with one of the men. No point in wasting two guards on them. Alex, they belong to you. Everyone else you will be assigned a toddler as I finish up the brief. You are not a tour guide. You are here to ensure that they don’t cause any trouble for us. You don’t speak to them unless it’s to remind them that they are guests in our home and will be expelled or executed if necessary. We don’t play around here. You follow the rules or you deal with the punishment. Any objections?”

No one was stupid enough to say anything.

“Good. Let’s go.”

Richard led us into the room and we silently filed in and lined the wall directly behind him. To a newcomer it would be intimidating, but anyone that was really looking would have noticed the bored, sleepy looks on all of their faces.

The toddlers sat and stared at the escorts with wide eyes. They were defenseless if things turned hostile. Alex noted that the man that sat with the little girl didn’t even seem to notice all of the armed guards that now stood before him. He had one arm wrapped protectively across the blond haired little girl that lay sleeping with her head in his lap as he sat on the floor with his back against the wall. He didn’t even look up as the door slammed behind them. The little girl’s eyes, however, sprang open and she sat up with a jolt.

The man slowly turned his attention towards the guards. Alex had at first assumed that he was the girl’s father but now that she could clearly see his face she knew that couldn’t be possible, he was far too young. Brother maybe? Suddenly his vibrant blue eyes met hers and time seemed to freeze. The air seemed to get pulled from her lungs and a chill ran unchecked down her spine. She couldn’t move. Panic gripped her chest with icy fingers as she fought for control of her body. The world had gone quiet, the only sound that remained was the constant pounding of her pulse in her ears, growing louder with each beat.

His eyes casually shifted down the row of escorts and the world came rushing back into focus. Richard’s voice was reverberating throughout the room. Had he been talking the whole time? Alex’s heart raced within her chest and her breathing was fast and shallow. She realized that she had to compose herself before Richard noticed and pulled her aside later. It didn’t look good to have one of your escorts having what appeared to be an anxiety attack at the sight of new people. Something was wrong with that stranger, and of course it was just Alex’s luck that she would have to be his nanny.

The sound of Richards voice came to a halt as he finished up his welcome speech. In short he explained to the toddlers that if they didn’t contribute they couldn’t stay. They had forty-eight hours to decide where they could contribute and introduce themselves to the person that ran that program. If they believed they were capable of starting up a trade that didn’t already exist within the compound they had to present it to Richard the next day with examples of how it could be used to improve life within the compound. Most new ideas got shut down, being seen as an unnecessary luxury. The last bit of the speech explained that they would be accompanied at all times by an escort who was under specific instructions not to socialize with them and would enforce the rules of the compound quickly and without question. You break the rules and you are ejected immediately, or you die, based upon the nature of your crime.

The room fell deathly silent. It usually did after the death threat was proposed. When people hear that this compound was safe they usually aren’t suspecting to be threatened and quarantined upon their initial arrival. It actually served to weed out the scumbags and lazy pretty well. After forty-eight hours if they hadn’t made a decision as to where they could contribute they would be escorted to the gates. If they pleaded enough sometimes Richard would allow them to stay and assign them a trade of his choosing. Usually it was manual labor.

As Alex scanned the faces of those in the room she realized the first thing that truly troubled her about the pair she had been assigned to, neither of them seemed to have a single scratch on them. Not a single burn scar adorned any of their exposed skin, their clothes were perfectly in tact, and they still had all of their hair. No one escaped the fire unsinged. If they did then they accumulated plenty of scars while scavenging through the rubble that remained of civilization. It was unavoidable when there was more broken glass and jagged metal than you could possibly imagine. Yet here they were before her, seemingly untouched by the world’s hazards.

She approached the pair, nervousness quickly working its way into every last inch of her body. She had never been intimidated by toddlers before.

“I’ll be your escort for the next two days.” She stated flatly. “You are on your own to navigate the compound. I’m not here to be your friend so don’t expect idle chit chat. The only places that I will show you to are the sleeping areas for newcomers and the front gate when you leave. Any questions?” She sounded a lot more confident than she felt.

The man looked at her sending icy fingers down the length of her spine. His eyes were cold and ruthless.

“I have one” said the little girl

“Shoot” Alex replied. Diverting her attention.

“Is there somewhere I can get some food? I know you aren’t supposed to show us around, but if you could just tell me a direction to walk in I think I can find it.”

“How old are you” Alex inquired.

“Eight” the girl said softly, her eyes falling shyly to the floor.

Alex was lost for words. Children didn’t do well in the world anymore. Between sicknesses and environmental hazards most died early on. Those born pre-storm were used to being reckless and pampered. The new world didn’t discriminate. It killed them off through infection and other such means. Newborns didn’t fare much better but they seemed to have a built in sense of caution as they grew older that those pre-storm were lacking in. This was the youngest healthy person Alex had ever seen.

“How about a trade?” Alex offered. “I’ll show you where the food is, and you tell me how you escaped the storm without getting hurt.” She was breaking the rules, but something was wrong with these two. She needed to learn more about them.

The girls eyes darted to the man beside her who for the first time seemed to be paying particularly close attention.

“The only thing we will tell you” he said, his voice cold and almost threatening, “is that if you are looking for threats, there are others you should be more concerned with.”

Without another word the man rose and took the little girls hand. She kept her eyes on the floor as if she was in trouble. After they had gone a few steps Alex thought she heard a light whisper.

“I’m sorry Triston” was all she could make out.

It was normal for people in today’s society to be reserved, but even so that altercation was strange. Something was wrong about those two, Alex just couldn’t place her finger on it.

Alex walked out of the room in pursuit of her two charges. She rounded the corner just in time to see the man, whom she assumed was Triston, lift the little girl and place her gently on his shoulders earning a giggle of approval. She followed them silently to the eating area, which they seemed to find without difficulty on their own. The little girl was newly fascinated by everything she saw, interacting with everything and everyone they came into contact with. The man on the other hand didn't seem interested in anything, only interacting when she intentionally included him, or he decided he didn't like the direction of a conversation.

Alex stared through the bars of the sleeping cell at her toddlers. They had decided to go to sleep after eating. The little girl ate like it was the first meal she had had in days. The man, whom Alex felt safe to assume was named Triston, on the other hand hadn’t eaten a single bite. He sat once again with his back to the wall, the little girls head rested on his thigh. Her eyes had been slowly closing with each blink. She would be asleep soon. He, however, didn’t seem to show the slightest signs of fatigue. Alex was sure he hadn’t eaten at all that day. They weren’t allowed food in the holding room. He had to have some kind of training. Former military maybe? No one else would be able to hold this kind of composure with no food and little sleep.

The little girl blinked herself awake and propped herself up on one elbow.

“Why do you limp when you walk?” she asked

Alex had been caught off guard by the question. It had been a very long time since she had been around a curious child. Most people here either didn't care enough to ask or already knew the story. Everyone had some sort of injury relating to the storm so after a while you just started assuming that was where they came from.

“I got hurt. I long time ago.” Alex replied

“Was it when the fire came down?”

“It was.”

“What happened?”

Alex glanced at Triston, who now seemed lost in his own thoughts, staring off into the distance.

“That’s not something that I like to talk about” Alex replied.

“Why?”

“It makes me think about things that make me sad. I don't like being sad.” she tried to explain while being as vague as possible, hoping the girl would lose interest before she ran out of patience.

“What kind of things does it make you think about?”

“The storm” Alex snapped with a bit of finality

Alex felt slightly guilty about losing her temper with a child, but was thankful for the short period of silence that followed.

“Does it still hurt?” and there it went.

“Sometimes”

“Triston knows how to help people when they are hurt.” The little girl said excitedly. She glanced up to see her companion's piercing gaze locked on her. Her eyes widened and she immediately clamped her mouth shut. She had said too much.

“Is he a doctor?” Alex pressed, hoping to dig some more information out of her before the man interrupted.

The little girl’s eyes were locked on the ground once again. There was no indication that she had even heard Alex's question.

Triston spoke for the first time since their altercation in the holding room.

“You might want to get some sleep. You look like you need it, and tomorrow will be a busy day.”

He had begun with the statement being directed towards the little girl, but finished with his attentions fully focused on Alex. He couldn’t have made it more obvious whom he had really been referring to. Her interrogation of the child would have to be placed on hold for the day.

Alex wasn’t sure if she wanted to fall asleep while the man was still awake in the cage despite the weariness that pulled at her mind. She patted her pocket and felt the cell key resting exactly where she had left it. Knowing that she held the key to his cage was extremely reassuring. Maybe she would hold him there in the morning until he told her what she wanted to know. Alex lay back on the cot she had been sitting on and fantasized about the interrogation as she drifted off to sleep.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Alex woke to a frantic pounding on the door to their sleeping cell. Adrenaline immediately began coursing through her body, accelerating her wake up time to only a few short seconds. She peered out of the peep hole to see George, one of the mobile patrolmen, eyes wide and looking frantic as he continued to beat on their door.

“What!?” she said irritably as she swung the door open.

“Orders from Richard. Leave your toddlers locked up, he needs you on the roof now. We’re under attack and we need every available gun up top now.”

Without waiting for a response George took off down the hallway towards the next cell.

“SHIT!” Alex yelled as she turned back to grab her rifle. She froze mid stride at the sight before her. Triston stood at the door of the cage. His eyes almost appearing to glow a mesmerizing florescent blue.

“Let me out” His voice was cold and commanding. There was an edge to his voice. It resonated with power and fear once again turned Alex's stomach into a quivering knot similar to the first time their eyes had met. There was no question about it, this stranger terrified her.

“No can do” she said hesitantly. “You guys stay put until this all blows over. It's to ensure your safety and eliminate any suspicions that you may be involved”

“This is the only time I will offer to help you. After this your fates will no longer be of my concern.” There was no threat in his words, but Alex was nearly overcome by a feeling of dread at the sound of them. Almost as if he knew what was happening, and how it would turn out.

“That’s not my decision to make” Alex stammered, a little quieter than she would have liked.

“Fine” Triston said as he sat down once again with his back to the wall. “If you want to help your friends, then I suggest you run.”

Alex opened the drawer on the little night stand and grabbed her pistol. She checked that a round was in the chamber before placing it in the holster on her hip. Next she unlocked the rack and pulled her rifle from the wall. Once again she checked the chamber to ensure her weapon was ready to go before throwing open the door and running out, not bothering to lock it in her frantic attempt to move a little faster. Running hurt like hell but if they were under attack then she was going to have to deal with the pain. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other as she attempted to push the searing pain in her knee from her mind. Triston's eyes never moved from Alex as she scrambled to leave the room as quickly as possible.

Once atop the compound Alex could see why George was so frantic. Gunshots drowned out all other noise as bullets filled the early morning sky. She took cover behind the mound of metal that they used to create a makeshift barrier next to the lookout position. Grim was already there firing round after round out of his bolt action rifle. His motions were so smooth they almost seemed mechanical. Fire, clear, chamber new round, repeat.

Alex pressed her chest flat against the roof of the building and crawled to the end of the ramshackle barrier. The front of the compound was a battlefield. The bandits had used a truck to take out the front gate. Where they had found a working vehicle, she had no idea. At least twenty men fired at the compound security team. She could already make out six bodies of her fallen companions. They must have been caught completely off guard. Probably surprised by the vehicle.

Alex took aim, her cross hairs falling on a savage looking woman. She would pop out from behind a big rock, spray the area with bullets then disappear again. She wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular. She was just providing cover fire. Forcing the defenders to take cover while the rest of the bandits moved forward into the compound.

Every time Grim’s rifle fired she could see another bandit fall. He always targeted the closest one to the perimeter fence. If he could hold off those ones, she could take out the girl in the back. Alex waited patiently for the girl to pop out from behind the rock again. She barely felt the recoil of the rifle as her finger squeezed the trigger. Red mist erupted behind the girl as she fell motionless to the dirt. One down.

She and grim both rose to place their rifles in the ruts at the top of the barrier. It served to hold their weapons in a more stable positing allowing them to fire faster than if they had to steady them themselves. They alternated shots, a procedure that Richard had put in place. It ensured that two people didn’t waste time shooting at the same person, plus it allowed them to conserve ammo. All you had to do was fire, wait for the bang next to you, then you were clear to fire again. Alex and grim were the primary two that occupied the watchtower so they were extremely efficient.

After a few minutes Alex began to think that they were beginning to turn the tide of the attack. The door to the roof burst open and George came barreling through.

“They are inside the compound!” he screamed

A burst of automatic fire rang out from somewhere beyond the doorway. George’s body jolted as each projectile made impact. He dropped to the ground, all signs of life snuffed out in a single instant. How had they made it inside?

Suddenly a pair of men emerged from the doorway, weapons raised. Grim had already turned to face the attackers as Bear rushed forward, jaws snapping. Alex still had her rifle propped on the barricade. Grim fired and the first attacker dropped lifeless to the ground. The second intruder fired before Grim even had a chance to eject the spent shell. He held his rifle at his hip and sprayed the entire rooftop, just like you would expect to see in old Hollywood movies. Alex could have cried she was so relieved. It was still a dangerous situation, but firing from the hip was extremely inaccurate. Her relief was instantly replaced by rage as Bear yelped in pain.

She pulled her rifle from the wall, leveled it at the attacker and squeezed the trigger, not even bothering to look through the scope. The man fell against the now blood spattered wall behind him, his rifle clattering to the ground as he clutched his chest with both hands, a numb expression slowly overtaking his face.

“How do you think they got -” Alex's words caught in her throat before she could finish her question. Grim stood, staring at his own bloody hand before looking back to red blotch that was rapidly beginning to dominate the left side of his chest, drowning out the white of the fabric. She rushed to his side and did her best to catch him as his legs seemed to simply collapse beneath him. His weight was too much for her, the best she could do was hope to slow his decent to the concrete beneath them.

The bullet passed strait through, just a few inches below his left collar bone. Judging from the gurgling sound emanating from the hole each time he inhaled, the round had punctured his lung. This was really bad. She didn’t have the supplies up here that she needed to save him, let alone the experience. Suddenly the thought dawned on her as a faint memory plaid through her head, “Triston knows how to help people when they are hurt” the little voice repeated in her mind.

He had known they would need his help. Was this possibly what he had been implying? Had he known there would be casualties? It was rare that there weren’t casualties in a conflict like this anymore, so maybe it was all just a coincidence. Either way they needed his help. Alex took one last look at the front of the compound. Gunfire could still be heard but there was no one left outside of the building. She turned and ran towards the stairwell that would lead her back inside the compound.

“Hold on grim and don’t move, I’ll bring help” she called over her shoulder.

She stopped as she ran past the bodies of the two bandits and picked up on of their automatic rifles from the ground. She also took the few extra seconds required to search both bodies for ammo. There was no sense in rushing off for help just to get herself killed. Plus a fully automatic rifle would be a lot more useful in close quarters. She froze for a moment as her eyes passed over bear. His body lie motionless on the ground, a pool of blood slowly growing in size around him. She couldn't stop to check on him. She had to move. She racked the charging handle on the rifle to ensure it was ready to fire and rushed quickly down the staircase, her knee screaming its ceaseless protests inside her head. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to push it like this before it gave out.

The hallways were nearly deserted. That meant that one of the sentries had begun the compounds lock down procedures. All the residents of the compound were now held up in the two massive rooms that made up the armory and ammo storage areas, locked behind solid steel doors that Richard had ensured were reinforced the day he had designed this plan. Even as Alex rushed down the halls towards the sleeping cells for visitors, the rest of the compound's residents were being given every weapon available. Should the rest of the security force fall the citizens would then defend their homes for themselves. To this point it had never had to come to that, and Alex would be damned if it was going to happen now.

Alex skidded to a stop at the sounds of shouting and gunfire emanating from the hallway just ahead of her. She pressed herself flat against the wall next to the door. She had a narrow view of a single strip of the hallway that led back towards the front of the compound and the now decimated front gate. Nothing seemed to be moving at that end. That could only mean that they had made it past this point and were most likely chasing the unarmed populace towards the armory. This was good in a way, it meant that Alex would be coming up behind them. She inhaled deeply attempting to dull the throbbing in her knee by relaxing as best as possible, and ducked around the corner, keeping as close to the wall as she could as she navigated the maze of makeshift hallways that made up the interior of the compound.

Alex moved as quickly and silently as possible, stopping only to check around corners before exposing herself. Every so often she would come across someone armed that wasn’t a part of the security team. It was too soon for the populace of the compound to be out of hiding just yet so she didn’t even hesitate before taking them out. Most didn’t even know she was there before they were left lying lifeless on the floor. She was only two hallways away from the armory now which could only mean that she would soon run into the remainder of the enemies as well. A big part of her wanted to cut down the hallway just before the armory to the right to go and find Triston. She was running out of time to help Grim, but at the same time if she ignored the intruders then a lot more people could die. She couldn’t forsake the rest just for one man.

Alex got lost in her thoughts as she navigated the maze of hallways. In wasn’t until she rounded a corner and stood only a stone’s throw away from a dozen of intruders that she snapped back to reality. Unfortunately it wasn’t soon enough to stop her from exposing herself. Four faces turned to focus on her. It almost seemed like slow motion as their weapons raised. Alex threw herself against the wall to the right, dropping her weapon and throwing her hands in front of her face, as if they could protect her from the spray of bullets that was coming.

Without warning the wall she had thrown herself against gave way, sending her sprawling to the concrete floor as the hallway she once occupied immediately filled with gunfire and the sound of ricocheting bullets. Alex scrambled backward away from what she now knew had been a door. The gunfire ceased and she could hear footsteps coming closer to the opening. She only had her sidearm left with which to defend herself. A single handgun against multiple enemies with no cover, she didn't stand a chance. Her only hope was to run. She turned and sprinted away from her pursuers as quickly as her quivering, crippled legs could carry her.

She recognized this hallway, before her brain could identify exactly which hallway it was another bout of gunfire rang out from behind her. An involuntary scream tore from her throat as she heard the bullets whizzing by her. She passed five different doors as she ran, unwilling to delay the few precious seconds it would take to check and see if they were unlocked. Just ahead a doorway lingered along the right wall with its door still slightly ajar. Alex compelled her body to move faster as she darted towards open door. Another scream pierced her lips, this time however, it was from pain not surprise.

She stumbled Head first into the wall bashing her bad knee against the concrete floor. Pain shot upwards from her ankle. She’d been hit. She crawled desperately forward ignoring her new found splitting headache, refusing to look at the damage to her foot before she had at least a door between her and the attackers. She reached the door and pushed it the rest of the way open. She gripped each side of the doorway and thrust herself through the opening. She gripped a table that stood just inside and pulled herself up just in time to close and lock the door before an enormous weight slammed against it.

Alex fell backward onto the floor and scrambled away from the door. The weapon she had picked up earlier was an AK-47. If that was what these men carried as well she knew that she was in trouble. The door was metal, but the brick around it was weak and only covered by ceramic tile. It wouldn’t be able to hold up against the size of round used in that kind of weapon. They would be in before they even went through a full magazine.

Alex crawled backward until she ran into something solid. There was nowhere else that she could run to. She drew the pistol from its holster, the only weapon with which to defend herself. Both of her legs were now injured. Escape was no longer a possible conclusion she believed to be feasible. This was beginning to look more and more like the end of the line. Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder earning a startled jump. Alex jerked away from what she had thought was a wall. She hadn’t backed herself against a wall, but rather she had pushed herself up against the bars of one of the sleeping cells. A little girl sat crouched with her face only a few feet away from hers. Out of the corner of her eye Alex could see Triston still sitting against the far wall.

“You’re hurt” the little girl said, her little voice filled to the brim with concern. Gunfire erupted in the hallway just beyond the door. The sound of projectiles striking against metal screeched throughout the room. The sound quickly ceased and yelling could be heard on the other side of the door.

“That’s why you don’t shoot a metal door you idiot!” Yelled one voice as another screamed out in agony. “You shoot the frame, you know, the part that isn’t metal. Aim for where the lock would go in.” Gunfire erupted once again.

Tears streamed unchecked down Alex’s cheeks as sheer terror gripped her. They knew how to get in. Now she and this little girl were going to die. She had failed at protecting anyone. Her thoughts hadn’t even drifted towards Triston. If they had she might have looked to have seen that he had risen from his spot on the floor. The first bullet punched through the wall and whistled by just a few feet above Alex’s head. Then, almost as if someone had released a flood gate, the room was filled with bits of rock and a river of bullets.

The gunfire ceased and Alex watched in horror as the door slid silently open. She glanced back at the two in the cell and saw Triston shielding the little girl with his own body. Several new holes peeked at her through his jacket that she didn’t remember being there before. Alex’s attention snapped back to the five men that stepped through the now open door. She held the gun tightly against her leg, hoping they wouldn't notice it. She would take as many of them with her as she could. She noticed that one walked with a pretty severe limp and fresh blood now soaked his pant leg in the middle of his thigh.

“Too bad about your leg,” Alex said “you just shot our only doctor that could have saved it.”

“Just means there ain’t no one left to save you either” the man said as he raised his gun. Alex acted in that instant, raising her own weapon and pulling the trigger. Gunshots filled the room prompting a scream from the little girl somewhere behind her.

Alex seemed to go numb, and holding the small firearm now seemed too great a burden. Her hand relaxed and the sound of metal clattering against concrete could be heard. She looked down at three blooming roses that now embroidered her shirt. Strange, she couldn’t remember owning any shirts with flowers on them. She lifted her head to look at the men before her. One sat motionless against the wall, another lay screaming on the ground. For how hard he seemed to be screaming, there was surprisingly little sound. She couldn’t quite remember who they were, but she knew that she didn’t want them in the room with her.

Alex could see their mouths moving, but all of the sound seemed muffled, almost like someone had their hands clamped over her ears.

“Shit, where the hell did she pull another gun from?” said one of the voices

“Doesn't matter, I heard a girl in the cell. Sounded young. Pull her out and make sure that guy is dead.”

Alex no longer had the strength to hold her head up. A sharp shrill sound rang out and seemed to echo off the walls. Was that a scream?

“We should just shoot her. We don’t have the keys to the cell anyway.”

“I bet this one has some keys on her” said another voice. Something moved Alex’s leg, her head felt too heavy for her to look to see who. Someone grabbed her by the ankles causing her to give a little groan as a dull pain raced up from one of them, she wasn’t too sure which one anymore.

“Oh so she isn’t gone just yet. Might want to get your fun in while she’s still warm!” said one of the voices as she was dragged away from the bars of the cell. A bunch of laughter rang out throughout the room. Hands started touching all over her body. They didn’t seem to be going for the places Alex imagined they would if they were going to rape her. It took her a moment to realize that they were looking for the key to the cell first. They wanted to get to the little girl too. Two tears rolled silently down her cheeks at the thought.

“Found a key” said another voice. It must have belonged to the hand that searched her back pockets. That’s where the key had been anyway.

“It fits!” Said another voice excitedly. Hands were now pulling at Alex’s clothing. She wanted to die before they started. Why couldn’t she just die already?

“Shit!” one voice yelled sounding unmistakably panicked. The hands that had been groping Alex disappeared from existence as they left her body. She couldn't open her eyes to see where they had gone, so in her mind they ceased to exist.

Gunfire suddenly filled the cell once more. Alex fought against the weight of her eyelids, finally longing to see what was happening. They weren’t shooting her, so were they shooting the girl? Had someone else showed up to save them? Curiosity burned at the edges of her mind as she fought the darkness that seemed to consume her. As quickly as it had started, the gunfire stopped.

Suddenly a weight fell on her chest and what appeared to be small hands started shaking her.

“You have to wake up, you can’t die” Cried a little voice. Alex couldn’t take it anymore, she had to see what was happening, and with one last surge of effort she opened her eyes. The room seemed hazy and dim. A small face seemed to manifest before her. Blue eyes filled with tears stared at her from within a tangle of honey colored hair that seemed to obscure them. The tiny face turned away from her for a moment. Alex wished it wouldn’t do that, the face helped her to feel at ease.

“You have to save her. She was good to us. You can’t just sit there and let her die. You can fix it!” the little voice screamed in frustration.

“I offered her a chance” I much deeper voice, a man’s voice, replied.

“She came back here to protect us! She knew she would die and she tried anyway!”

Is that what had happened? Alex couldn’t remember anymore. Had she been trying to save someone?

“If you don’t save her I won’t ever speak to you again. I’ll run away and never come back!”

The small face turned back towards Alex. Something wet fell onto her cheeks but she couldn’t be sure what.

“Fine” said the deep voice. “This will cause questions. We won’t be able to stay here like we planned. We will have to leave after I do this.”

“I don’t care” was the girls reply.

Alex couldn’t hold her eyes open any longer. They slowly closed, leaving her in a world of sheer darkness once again. A sudden tingling started in her arm. It ran rampant, unchecked throughout her body. It raced over every inch of her, stopping for a short period of time at certain spots, her knee, her shoulder, her stomach, her ankle. The dull aching that those areas still provided seemed to fade away as the tingling sensation reached them. Alex was sure that it was her body slowly being taken by death’s embrace. The sensation slowly began to fade from her entire body at once. It turned into a tickle, then an itch, before disappearing completely. Alex lay motionless, unsure of what came next.

“You can stop pretending to be dead now.” Alex recognized the voice this time. It was Triston.

Alex opened her eyes to a world renewed. The haze that had once polluted her vision was gone and all of her senses seemed a little sharper than what she remembered. Triston knelt next to her, the little girl stood almost directly behind him. His eyes once again seemed to glow, but was the glow fading? Alex blinked to clear her head, trying to remember all of the events that had just occurred. When she focused back on Triston his eyes were back to the piercing blue that she remembered from the night before and early that morning. Maybe she had imagined it.

Suddenly all of the events that had just occurred caught up to her. Alex shoved herself away from the man and the little girl before her.

“You should be dead” she said almost hysterically. “I should be dead” she whispered as she frantically pulled up her shirt and touched her smooth, unharmed stomach in disbelief. The skin was whole and unbroken. Alex got to her feet and backed against the wall.

“What did you do?” Her voice almost seemed threatening.

“It’s crazy how much hostility is brought about by fear” Triston said nonchalantly. “I guess gratitude would be too much to ask for anymore.”

“You did something to me” Alex spat accusingly.

“I saved you, a decision I am rapidly growing to regret” He replied coldly

“I was dying. How---

What did you do to me?”

“More than I care to share at the moment.” Triston said with finality as he rose to his feet. “Since you aren’t dead though you may want to go and check on the rest of the compounds population. I’m going to assume that not all of them chased you in here.” He turned to the little girl and took her hand before starting towards the door.

Alex’s mind scrambled to compile an explanation but a small voice in the back of her mind told her that he was right. The last she had seen everyone else was trapped inside the armory with a half dozen men still trying to get inside. She glanced around the room for a weapon and gasped at what she saw. The five men that had entered, the same men that shot her, now lay dead on the floor around her. The shocking part of the scene was that they weren’t shot as would have come to expect. The two whose bodies remained inside the cell still had smoke rising from them as their clothing clutched to their skeletal frame. It was as if they had spontaneously combusted. The next three weren’t quite as graphic. Two seemed to have broken necks while the third’s chest was caved in, obviously crushing his heart. What in the world happened?

Alex pushed the thought from her mind as she reached down and picked up one of the weapons the pursuers had dropped. She checked the magazine to make sure it had rounds and proceeded to collect whatever additional ammunition she could find on the bodies. She didn’t bother to check the two inside the cell. She wouldn’t have been able to stomach touching them.

She stopped in the doorway and froze as another realization dawned on her, her knee didn’t hurt. Not even the dull ache that had tormented her for the past three years remained. Even the ankle she had been shot in was fine. Alex took another deep breathe and pushed the thought from her mind. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that. She could find Triston and question him after she took out the rest of the intruders. He would give her answers. Even if she had to force them out of him.

Only a few members of the security team remained. Alex came across them when she made it back to the hallway leading to the armory. They were pinned down in the doorway on the opposite side of the hall by the bandits. Alex’s surprise attack from the opposite side had taken them off guard and within minutes the crisis was over.

Alex approached the reinforced door to the armory and knocked the all clear code. Five knocks, pause, three more, pause, then five again. Deckland opened the door his rifle ready. He was Richard’s personal guard which meant that their leader was still safe as well. That thought left Alex with a little hope.

“The compound is secure. We need the labor team to get out there and move that truck so we can fix the gate. Tell Richard that aside from you there are only four members of the guard remaining. He will have to choose replacements.” Deckland nodded his head at the conclusion of Alex’s report. His expression was grim. At that thought Alex remembered her friend, dying alone up on the rooftop.

She turned and sprinted back down the hallway. She wasn’t sure where Triston had gone to but one thing was for certain. He was probably the only person left that could save Grim. She wasn’t sure how exactly he had saved her but whatever he did, she would make him do it again, even if she had to put her gun to his head to convince him.

She raced through the compound in her frantic search. If Grim was still alive he didn’t have much longer. Alex burst into the guards sleeping room with the rows of beds and barely caught a glimpse of honey colored hair passing through the door at the other end of the room. She sprinted to catch up. She couldn’t let them get away.

Alex crashed through the door and before she even caught a glimpse of the room beyond was thrown with incredible force back against the wall that made up half of the doorway she had just come through. All the air was ripped from her body and she found herself struggling to breathe. She fell to her hands and knees as she continued in vain to replace the stolen air from her lungs. Before she had recovered from the blow a hand found its way around her neck. Alex was slammed against the wall with extreme prejudice and was barely able to let out a strangled grunt.

She stared blankly into Triston’s eyes as he held her pinned helplessly against the wall, still gasping for air, both of her hands pulled at his wrist in an attempt to break his grip. If he truly wanted to he could easily kill her right here and now and no one would know any better. Instead the pressure on her neck slightly lessened allowing her to take in her first labored breath in what seemed like forever. Her oxygen starved lungs burned from the effort.

Alex wasn’t stupid enough to believe that she had overpowered him. He had allowed her to take that breath. Hopefully that meant that he didn’t intent to take the life that he had only moments ago given back to her.

“We’re leaving” He stated.

“Please” Alex managed to choke out only the single word.

“Triston please stop hurting her.” The little girl suddenly appeared at his elbow, tugging on his free hand. “You promised”

Alex could feel the tension on her throat slowly receding.

“What do you want?” the words held more malice than Alex believed was possible.

“I just want your help.” Tears welled in her eyes causing her vision to blur. “My friend is dying on the rooftop. He was just trying to protect everyone. He doesn’t deserve to die like that.” She half choked on the words as they spilled from her mouth.

“Why is that my problem?”

“I know you don’t owe me anything, but please. You were willing to help me, and now you are the only one that can help him.” As the words left her lips Alex felt Triston’s hand begin pressing into her throat once more, blocking her airway. She fought futilely to break his iron grip.

“You seem to be under the impression that I’m one of the good guys.” Triston spat. “I don’t care what happens to you or your people. I saved you as a favor to Riley. This place could burn to the ground with all of you still inside and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Save your breath for someone that cares.”

Triston released his grip and Alex fell, landing in a heap on the floor. He turned and walked towards the exit to the compound, dragging Riley behind him. The little girl looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Alex, her own spilling over with tears as well.

“Triston can’t we-“

“NO!” His voice was so forceful it was almost a yell.

“But they need our help” the girl whined.

“Everyone needs help. If they can’t learn to get by on their own then every time that things get hard they will come begging for us to take care of their problems for them. That isn’t my problem anymore.”

Riley pulled against his hand trying to break free.

“I WANT TO STAY AND HELP” she screamed. Triston stopped walking and looked down at the little girl, then over at the girl lying against the wall. He was becoming more and more frustrated by the situation.

“Fine” He said with finality as he released Riley’s hand. “You can stay if you want, but I’m leaving.” A look of complete shock overcame the little girl’s face. This wasn’t the result she had been expecting.

“I’ll tell them everything” she said threateningly.

“Then I won't come back” He said with finality.

By this time tears now flowed freely from Riley's eyes. She gave small whimpers as she continued to weep. Her little body shook with frustration. This wasn't fair. She didn't want to run away again, but she knew Triston wouldn't stay.

“You'll seriously just abandon her here?” Alex asked accusingly, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.

“At least here she will have a home instead of wandering all the time. This is the safest compound there is. I can't think of a better place to leave her, can you?” Triston turned his piercing gaze back to Alex. She wasn't sure if he was really expecting an answer or if he was just trying to intimidate her. They both remained silent for a while, the silence only broken by the young girl's whimpers.

“This WAS the safest compound around.” Alex said softly. She was careful to put emphasis on the “was”. “Our security team is gone. Even if we recruited new members it would be months before they would be of any use. We don't have unlimited resources. They can't just shoot and pray like they do out on the road.

Triston's gaze shifted back to Riley. His features seemed to soften from where Alex was standing. He placed a hand softly on her shoulder. She shrugged it off angrily.

“You know this could be a home for you too. I don't know what secrets you have but I promise I won't tell anyone what you did for me. No one else knows.” Triston's eyes met with Alex's and the stone mask once again dominated his face.

“I can't stay. My presence would cause the death of everyone here.” He paused for a few seconds, apparently contemplating the predicament before them. “I'll heal your friend, but that's it. As soon as I'm done I'm leaving.” Riley glared defiantly at Triston. “As long as you keep my secret, I'll come back.” He promised. I have to get away from here for a while though. Until I know that they aren't chasing me. You understand that don't you?”

Riley turned and ran to Alex, her whimpers turning almost immediately into dramatic sobs. Alex held the trembling girl in her arms, offering what comfort she could. “Lead the way to your friend, we don't have much time if he's as bad as you seem to think he is”. Triston stated flatly.

He knelt next to Grim's lifeless body. He didn't even bother to check his pulse. He placed one hand on the big man's arm and closed his eyes. Alex watched closely hoping to get some hint as to how his strange power worked. Nothing seemed to be happening. Alex started to lose hope. Surely Triston's power even had it's limits. Grim had to be beyond them. Suddenly Triston's entire body tensed. She could see the muscles in his arms and neck straining as if he was fighting to move. Grim's eyes flew open and he sucked in a massive breath. He sat up quickly and reached for his chest, to the area he had been shot. Alex let out a relieved sigh and took a mental picture of the look on his face, she'd never seen him surprised before. Without saying a word Triston moved to Bear and repeated the process. The dog was on his feet in seconds, and to Alex's surprise, fur once again covered his body.

Triston stood and walked back to the two girls. He hugged Riley, her tears starting fresh once again. He kissed her softly on the forehead and turned towards the door. Alex wanted to stop him, but by this point she knew it would be pointless. His mind was made up. He was gone before Grim even had the chance to process what had happened.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Alex woke to the smell of smoke. She sprung out of bed and immediately began looking for the source. She froze as her eyes caught the blazing orange light emanating from the top windows of the building. Terror clenched at her chest, trapping her breath. There could only be one reason fire would be visible so high in the sky without the presence of trees. The sky itself was aflame once again.  
A small hand gripped at Alex's breaking her from her trance. Riley's bright blue eyes were wide with fear. Tears began to spill from them as her mind was filled with memories of the first firestorm. Alex had to be strong now more than ever.  
A widespread panic fell over the compound. People were running in every direction. It was as if someone had vigorously shaken the snow-globe that was their compound. Luckily the structure was entirely made of cement which was the only reason it was still standing in the first place. The only thing they really had to be worried about was the wind. That's what Alex thought at least.  
The compound fell silent as a new sound erupted from the outside. The high pitched roar sent a chill down Alex's spine. All the windows that could be reached were reinforced with wood and metal making it impossible to see what was happening beyond them. There was no telling what the cause of the noise had been.  
Riley turned and bolted towards the stairwell leading to the lookout. Alex reached for her but was too slow. She immediately gave chase. Going outside in a firestorm was suicide. Alex moved much faster now that her knee wasn't constantly hurting, but even so she was unable to keep up with the little girl. She had barley reached the landing at the top of the third staircase when she heard the door to the rooftop burst open. She sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. The final staircase seemed to go on forever.  
She kicked the door to the rooftop open and immediately jumped back to avoid being burned by any stray flames. The scene that unfolded before didn't make any sense. Fire seemed to be falling everywhere around the compound, but avoided the structure itself completely. The rooftop was devoid of any flames. Riley stood under the lookout awning next to Grim. Alex quickly joined them, glancing at the sky every few steps just to be sure the fire wasn't headed her way.  
As she reached them, fire erupted around the compound. The flames shot into the sky to almost double the height of the building. Alex stared in wonder at the marvel before her.  
“These fires have no fuel” she thought aloud, “this doesn't make any sense”  
Neither Grim nor Riley seemed to hear her. Their eyes were transfixed on something deep within the flames. Alex stared off in the same direction wondering what they had seen. It didn’t take long before she began to make out dark figures though the wall of fire. They were massive hulking shapes, and there were thousands of them. One of the seemingly closer shapes made a jerking motion, the piece that Alex could only assume was its head through the distortion caused by the flames, was pointed strait at them. She could barely make out a jaw opening before a loud, spine tingling shriek filled the air, the same sound they had heard before.  
“The good guys that protect us-” Riley said barely above a whisper, “they lost”  
A bright light flashed somewhere in the space that separated the compound from the army of horrors. A lone figure appeared from the light, it was impossible to make out his features through the flames, but the person was obviously human.  
“TRISTON!” Riley screamed. There was no way her words could reach him.  
Suddenly the flames died and the world went black. Alex started to panic as fear gripped her chest. There was no light at all to see by. She reached out for Riley and Grim but only air was there to greet her.  
“So Triston lives” said an unfamiliar voice.

Alex woke in a cold sweat. Her entire body trembles as she attempted to grasp at what was reality and what had been part of the dream. It was still dark but stars could be seen through the upper windows. The air was tinged with the scent of fresh rain rather than smoke. Alex glanced around to either side of her only to see the other patrons of the guard unit also sitting up in their beds, visibly shaken. Had they all experienced the nightmare?  
Alex turned to Riley ready to ask her if she'd had the same dream only to find Riley's bed empty. It wasn't made and her shoes remained at the foot. Alex stood and walked towards the stairwell leading to the rooftop. With each step the ominous air that surrounded her lifted a little more.  
She pushed open the door and a rush of fresh air was ready to greet her. She loved the smell of rain. Alex scanned the rooftop. Bear sat obediently by Grim's side, his tail wagging happily at the sight of her. Riley sat huddled against the barrier, her knees pulled tightly to her chest and her face buried in them. Even from this distance it was possible to see her tremors. That alone answered Alex's question about the dream.  
She walked slowly over and plopped down next to Riley. Whatever had just happened to everyone had something to do with Triston. Alex wasn't sure exactly what, but it couldn't be good.  
“I take it you had the fire dream too?” Alex asked nonchalantly  
Riley sniffled and gave Alex a sideways look. The look in her eyes wasn't fear, however, it was defeat. It was the same look a person got when they made a drastic mistake, and just came to the realization. Alex's anxiety spiked once again as her eyes locked with Riley's.  
“Triston isn't ever going to come back now.” Riley said with almost too much confidence. “I thought it was just a dream” Tears filled her eyes and quickly began spilling down her rosy cheeks.  
“What do you mean you thought it was just a dream? If it wasn't a dream then what was it?”  
“I don't know. Triston just said that the people that were after him would try to trick you into telling them what they want to know. He said they can even listen in to your dreams and make you see things.” Her voice broke and what little composure she had been able to maintain shattered. She progressed from light crying to being completely hysterical. Alex wrapped her in her arms out of pure reflex.  
“It wasn't your fault” Alex whispered into her ear. Grim gave her a quizzical look. She would have to explain later. He was awake on watch, he hadn't experienced the dream. She still wasn't sure what had happened that was so wrong.  
“Riley you have to tell me what's going on or I can't help you.” Alex urged “I know that you want to keep your promise but if something bad is happening I need to know so that I can help.”  
“You can't help me. Triston isn't safe anymore and it's all my fault.” she whimpered.  
“We can warn him” Alex suggested.  
“There's no point.” came a deep voice from the rooftop doorway.  
Everyone jumped, even Bear. The dog gave a surprised bark as he turned to face the newcomer. Triston stood in the doorway, his eyes once again seeming to glow. Riley almost seemed to be trying to meld their bodies together with how hard she pressed against Alex. Alex instinctively drew her in closer and shifted her own body between them.  
Grim leveled his rifle at Triston. He didn't plan on shooting him, but he was making it clear that he would if necessary.  
“Go ahead” Triston said as his eyes shifted to Grim. “I have no reason to hide my power anymore. Thanks to Riley they know I'm alive now.”  
“Just what the hell are you?” Grim asked as he took a threatening step forward.  
“The last hope any of you have at staying alive. They will kill you all just for coming into contact with me.”  
“How do you even know what happened?” Alex asked  
“Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not watching. Do you honestly think I would trust two people that I had to save to look after Riley?” Alex barely knew Triston but his words still stung. “I stayed far enough away to avoid discovery when they came to look for me, but close enough to keep an eye on things.”  
“Why would someone come looking for you if they thought you were dead?” Grim asked  
“They didn't know it was me they would find. They just knew that someone had used powers here. Healing the two of you can very well become the mistake that gets me killed. Now this interrogation is over. I came back to get Riley. With me at least she has a chance.”  
Alex stood and planted herself firmly in front of Riley. “I won't let you take her”  
“That decision isn't yours to make.” Triston's voice turned threatening.  
Bear gave a low growl and took a few cautious steps towards Triston, his hackles raised as he grew more agitated.  
“So I'm going to have to take all the lives that I saved. Kinda sad that I got myself discovered for nothing” Triston's threat made Alex's knees weak. She had no doubt he could make good on it, and they probably wouldn't even leave a scratch on him.  
“Triston please stop.” Riley begged as she stood and took Alex's hand in hers. “They are just protecting me. Just like you do. They're my friends.”  
Something flashed in the doorway just behind Triston as a sound similar to a thunderclap rang out. Alex couldn't be sure, but she thought Triston's eyes changed color before he turned to face the new threat. The shift was slight, but it made the hair on her arms stand up. Instead of blue they almost seemed purple.  
Triston moved almost too fast to see. At one moment he was standing facing them. In the next he was standing just within the stairwell one hand wrapped around someone's throat. Three more gunshots rang out and Triston didn't even flinch. He turned and tossed his assailant out onto the open rooftop with the same effort a child would throw a doll.  
The man gave a painful grunt as he hit the concrete and rolled. He stumbled to his feet the second he stopped rolling. Alex's eyes opened wide as she recognized Richard's face. She immediately sprinted forward, releasing Riley as she placed herself between Triston and the leader of the compound. Grim took his place beside her. Alex glanced down at the gun Richard had dropped when he hit the ground. She could pick it up, but considering Triston had already taken four bullets from it she didn't think it would really make much of a difference.  
Triston didn't even have the chance to step out from the doorway before they heard it. Alex knew the sound immediately, it was the same shriek from the dream. She had no idea what kind of animal could make a sound like that, but it was angry. A chill ran down her spine as she turned to look in the direction of the horrific sound. There was nothing in sight, but she had a feeling that there was still something there.  
Something small ran past just outside of her field of view causing Alex to jump. Riley was running towards Triston. As Alex glanced in his direction her eyes locked on his face. The anxiety she had felt about whatever made the noise immediately changed to unrelenting terror. Triston's eyes were wide and danced rapidly from one direction to another. What really bothered her was that his skin had gone ghost white. Whatever the sound was, he knew what made it, and he was afraid of it. What could possibly scare someone who could take four rounds from a .45 and not even flinch?  
Riley grabbed onto Triston's leg and buried her face in his pants. Her knees were trembling. Grim looked around puzzledly, unsure of what to make of the sound. Richard seemed to be doing the same.  
“I take it you have friends coming?” Grim growled at Triston.  
Triston's composure changed completely as he shifted his attention back to the group. The color returned to his face and he seemed to relax a little.  
“Well this was fun, but I'll be leaving now. Riley is coming with me. This isn't a party I'm going to be waiting around for.” Triston announced  
“What's coming” Alex asked hurriedly. “That's not a sound that any normal animal can make. You know what it is.”  
Triston looked at them silently for a long time. It was impossible to read his expression. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through Riley's hair as he thought.  
“It's something you should be very afraid of, especially if there is more than one.” Triston's voice was completely flat.  
“Yeah that's really fucking helpful” Richard shouted. “How about you give us some details. Maybe even help us figure out how to prepare for whatever's coming?”  
“Being asked for help by the person that just tried to put a bullet in the back of my head. This life is full of more surprises than I ever imagined.” Triston looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.  
“You can drop the act now” Richard spat. “You aren't human. Something out there isn't human. You obviously don't get along. If you help us then you'll have the assistance of this compound. It's better than any offer you have out there” He made a dramatic sweep of his hand out towards the horizon.  
“You say that as if the assistance of this compound would really make a difference. What do you have? Five people trained with guns? How effective have guns been against me so far?” the entire group remained silent. “The only thing that would come out of me helping you, is more work for me.”  
“So you're saying that the things out there are bullet proof?” For the first time ever the look on Richard's face seemed worried. Everyone sat quietly waiting for Triston to give them something, anything to work with.  
“I can't say if guns work on them or not.” He finally admitted. “I've never heard of a situation where they made it here. Where I come from we don't use guns so it's impossible to know for sure.”  
Alex walked over to the wall next to the rooftop door and leaned heavily against it. She slid down to the ground and looked desperately to the sky.  
“So what are they? What are you? What the hell is going on?” Her voice reflected her mood perfectly, defeated.  
“I'm a soldier.” Triston said carefully. “The things that are coming...they're nightmares. They're the reason soldiers like me are needed.”  
“You're thunderstorm story” she said as the pieces finally connected in her mind. “The story you told Riley was real.”  
Triston glanced down at the little girl that still clung tightly to his leg. He had always hoped that his stories would remain just that to her, stories. Now it seemed like his world was about to come crashing through to her's. Did they even stand a chance?  
“Soooo giant monkeys?” Alex asked sarcastically.  
Richard gave a surprised snort. “I don’t think king kong, if he was even real, would make a sound like that.”  
“Wait, wait, wait,” Alex interrupted. “Where is your backup then? I thought there was an army of good guys that fought the army of monsters?”  
“There is” Triston confirmed. “The only way we can be in this situation is if that army is losing.”  
“Sounds like you deserted your allies then” Grim pitched in.  
“They aren't my allies.” Triston's voice was threatening. “They kill those that they view as a liability. It doesn't matter who they are or if they've done anything wrong. They are focused only on self-preservation, not defending humanity as they were intended.”  
“You're such a hypocrite” Richard's words were laced with venom. “You talk down about them yet when you have the chance to 'defend humanity' as the good army was intended, you decide running away and self-preservation are your priorities. You're just like them if that's the case.” It wasn't often that this happened, but Alex was afraid that Richard may have gone too far.  
The air suddenly felt like it was full of static. The same way it does just before lightning strikes overhead. Triston's fist was clenched so hard it was trembling. Triston's eyes had shifted to a brilliant violet. His voice even shifted as he spoke.  
“The crimes they've committed against humanity are far worse than anything you can imagine. I spoke out against them and they cast me from their ranks. I gave everything in the service of humanity. Don't EVER compare me to them again.”  
“How is what you are doing now different from what they are doing?” Grim seemed timid to resume the assault on Triston's morality. “You are abandoning those that need you. It sounds to me like the entire point of you speaking against them was to change that.”  
Lightning flashed around Triston's hand. Riley jumped backwards and fell to the ground, landing heavily on her butt. Alex sat braced against the wall staring at Triston in disbelief. How could anything possibly overcome an army of soldiers like Triston? His strength, his speed, whatever the hell just happened with his hand, he was even bulletproof, what would you have to do to kill someone like him? A long silence followed Triston's sudden display of power.  
“Triston” Riley whispered as she slowly started approaching him again. “Are you OK?” She approached cautiously, the way you would a scared, cornered dog. Tensions were high all around. No one knew what to expect next. Another horrible shriek sounded in the distance giving goose bumps to everyone present. Everyone but Triston.  
“They're coming” Triston whispered. “There are too many of them. I wouldn't be able to run now even if I wanted to. Congratulations, I guess you are getting what you wanted after all.”  
“What should we do?” Alex asked exasperatedly.  
“Guns, and lots of them. Then you might want to pick whoever it is you want to believe in and start praying.” Was his short reply.


	4. Chapter 4

A total of thirty-four men and women stood on the rooftop, weapons in hand. Many of them weren't trained at all by the normal security standards but according to Triston they needed the guns, desperately. Bear had been pulled inside after he started getting overly anxious and almost bit someone. Everyone looked scared, a few others looked like they were ready to wet themselves. No one knew what to expect and Triston hadn't been any real help. He simply stood at the edge of the roof starring off into the distance. Riley had been taken down into the compound after a short tantrum where she insisted she would stay right next to Triston no matter what. Normally Triston would never have let her leave his sight, but something was different about him now. Alex watched him closely and could see the muscles in his jaw tightening and relaxing sporadically. If anyone had thought to look a little closer they also would have noticed that Triston's hands were trembling, even Alex was a too caught up in her own thoughts to see it.  
Triston's thoughts raced as he stared out into the open barren wasteland. He had been successful in keeping his existence hidden for so long that the idea of participating in open combat almost seemed foreign to him. He was unable to tell if what he was feeling was excitement or terror. Surviving the past three years had meant hiding any inkling of the tremendous power that flowed ceaselessly through him. Not only for his own safety, but for the safety of any and all persons he came into contact with. In all reality it had been so long since he last attempted to wield his awesome powers that Triston wasn't even entirely sure that he could. Alex and the rest had been mesmerized by the healing, strength, and speed that he possessed, not knowing that all of those attributes required no influence from his boundless reserves of power. Healing others required a bit, but no more so than breathing used up the energy of an average person. Triston's true dilemma wasn't as to whether or not he still possessed the power, but rather how well he would be able to control it. His somber gaze drifted down to his trembling hands. Three years had passed and yet his wounds had never healed. His body, the vessel for all the power he possessed was still broken, and he hadn't the slightest inkling of an idea how to fix it.   
Slowly his thoughts drifted to Riley. Her resemblance to his sister was uncanny. He knew that despite their similarities Riley could never take her place, but it was nice to pretend. Even though it was all just a lie, a trick to help keep his mind at ease, he loved her completely. He would protect her to his dying breath. In a way he looked at it as a second chance. He hadn't been afforded the opportunity to save Emma, but god had granted him a chance at redemption with Riley. Triston took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the task at hand. Life was too precious to allow these abominations to have their way.   
The meager defense force of the compound had been assembled, armed, and given their basic instructions in under ten minutes. All the men had been spaced out along one side of the rooftop in groups of four. Once the enemy appeared only two men from each group were allowed to fire at a time, the other two were to wait until their partners had to reload before firing themselves, this method ensured that there would never be an interval in which no one from any specific group was firing at the enemy. It also allowed the two that weren't firing the opportunity to gauge the battlefield and determine where fire should be concentrated next.   
Triston finally turned his gaze back from the horizon to the rooftop. The time for preparation had now run out. This wasn't his ideal scenario to reenter this war, but he no longer had a choice. Alex, Richard, Deckland and Grim stood apart from the firing teams. They were going to float between the seven teams and assist wherever needed. Richard seemed like a decent enough tactician, but nothing could possibly prepare him for what was coming. He was used to fighting men. The only real help Triston could see them providing him with was the .50 caliber rifle now held by Grim. Richard had pulled it out of a locked box in the armory and delivered it without a word of explanation. No one even knew that he had something that powerful. The downside however was that it only had seventeen rounds.   
A shriek like roar seemed to erupt from all around the terrified party. It was almost impossible to tell the direction that the sound originated from but Triston’s gaze remained focused on a single area. Alex followed his gaze and stopped suddenly as she caught the glimpse of a shadow racing across the furthest hilltop that could be seen from their vantage point. She couldn't tell what exactly the figure had been, but it was moving incredibly fast.   
Another roar emanated from somewhere to the North of the compound off to the right. Alex whipped her head around as her throat began to tighten. They were being surrounded. Triston had made sure that they only placed men along the east side of the rooftop. She was starting to feel like he wasn't as reliable as they had all hoped. Alex scanned the northern ramparts but was unable to make out anything moving. She glanced back towards Triston hoping for some kind of reassurance, but he was gone. Alex desperately glanced about the entire rooftop but the stranger was nowhere to be found. They were stuck out in the open against an enemy they didn't understand, and now they were going to have to face it alone.   
“Where's Triston” she finally voiced. Grim, Deckland, and Richard had been so focused on their own plans for defense that they hadn't noticed the disappearance of the outsider. They all glanced around in a slight panic. All of their plans were based around him keeping the creatures to the East. Why would he leave at such a vital time?  
“He's probably just implementing his own plan for our defense” Richard assured them. “He's the only one here with experience with these creatures and let’s face it, I doubt any of us would be able to help with whatever he is doing.” Alex tightened her grip on her rifle. Though his words made sense, it didn't really make her feel any better.   
“Lock and load!” Richard yelled over the rooftop. For the next several seconds bolts could be heard loading various rounds into their respective chambers. Prep time was over. An uneasy silence overcame the rooftop as tension built. Another roar rang out, obviously closer than any before it, but this one sounded slightly different. More focused. Immediately three calls responded to the first. They'd found something. They were possibly closing in on the compound. Alex's hands began to shake. She could handle facing gunfire, wild animals, even natural disasters, but whatever this was wasn't natural to this world. She was terrified.   
“I can see Triston!” yelled a man from the furthest firing team on the right. “He's running from something, and bringing it straight to us!”  
“Then I suggest you all prepare to fire!” Richard yelled. “Where is he coming from?”  
“The North side sir. It looks like he has three of those creatures following him.” The wheels in Richards head started spinning. Triston was luring them into the line of fire. “Alex, your priority is the creature in the front, Deckland you take second, and Grim you third. Direct your firing teams.” He sat back and watched as the orders were issued before turning his attention to the rest of the horizon. He was the composer of this orchestra of death, and he was already seeking their next targets.   
Triston came into view without the assistance of a scope in a matter of seconds, being chased by what could only be described as an abomination. The creatures were massive. Their bodies resembled that of a gorilla, but dwarfed them in size. Their heads resembled that of a Doberman pinscher, every few seconds their eyes seemed to flash a neon yellow, similar to the way a firefly would light up intermittently. Their nightmarish bodies were naked and every flex of a muscle could be seen despite the great distance between them. Alex gave the order to fire and a chorus of gunfire immediately filled the air.   
Grim's teams began firing a few seconds later followed shortly by Deckland's. The three creatures jolted in pain as the metal projectiles found their marks. They each gave a startled shriek and turned to face the incoming fire. Triston continued his mad dash across the battlefield without missing a single stride. He seemed unharmed but even if a stray bullet had hit him it was unlikely he would have shown any signs anyway.   
Triston kept his eyes focused in front of him. His pursuers had shifted their attention to the new threat. There were still four others he could sense a little further south. They would have to be distracted before the compound came under assault from two directions and their defenses were overwhelmed. If the guns weren't enough to take the creatures down, the compound was doomed regardless of his actions, but until they knew for sure he would play out his role. He had to stay calm and keep his emotions in check. The high stress situation alone was enough to cause him to feel an unwelcome presence in his mind. His power seemed to pulse just beneath the surface, entirely out of his control. Releasing it now could very well mean the end for everyone.   
Triston was so intent on his thoughts that he hadn't realized how close he had come to the remaining four creatures. Seemingly out of nowhere something that felt similar to a train crashed full force into his side. Triston cringed slightly as sharp claws racked his side and vicious fangs sank deep into his neck. In that instant Triston felt his power trickle through. The injuries weren't enough to cause any real damage, however the anger at being taken off guard, and on top of that being struck was the real threat. Triston gripped the creature that had tackled him with both hands and heaved. It sailed through the air for nearly fifty feet before crashing to the ground. Its massive body left a slight indentation in the grass covered earth.  
Triston turned to face the creature, but before he could orient himself a second one slammed into his back knocking him heavily to the ground. Its teeth sank into his left hamstring as claws pressed heavily into his back. The first creature had recovered from being thrown and renewed its assault. Triston felt the second set of fangs find the back of his neck, the weight of both creatures rested almost entirely on top of him. Triston pressed his palms to the ground on either side of him and pushed. Each creature holding him down weighed nearly one ton, however the ease with which Triston pushed himself up would have confirmed his unnatural strength to even the most adamant skeptic. Before Triston was on his feet he saw a third creature dashing towards them at full speed.   
Laughter suddenly erupted from Triston's mouth, laughter that didn't entirely sound like his own. “You're slipping Triston!” He shouted in a voice that wasn't his. Without warning a surge of power erupted from Triston's body sending the two creatures that had attached themselves to him flailing vainly through the air. Triston's body seemed to move of its own accord, against his will. Triston raised his palm to the landing sight of the first creature that attacked him and an enormous ball of black flame erupted from his hand. The attack was so fast only a flash of darkness could be seen before it made impact. The resulting explosion shook the earth so badly that those several hundreds of miles away mistook it for an earthquake.   
Triston, still watching his body move without his consent, felt almost as if he were watching a first person movie. His body moved so quickly to the site of the second fallen creature that the average person would have sworn he simply vanished from one spot and appeared in another. Triston's hands gripped the neck of the creature and with barely any effort at all separated the head from the rest of the body and immediately both pieces of the creature were engulfed in the unnatural black flames. The deaths of the two creatures took less than three seconds and Triston could do nothing but watch as his body turned to face the third charging abomination. It was nearly face to face with him. A sword appeared in his hand that Triston faintly recognized. The blade was raised quickly enough to impale the monstrosity before it's body made impact.   
Triston's eyes lazily took in the mayhem that was laid out before him as he fought mentally to regain control of his body. Just as he began to feel as though he was making progress, another weight crashed heavily into his left side. As he spun to grapple with the final creature he realized that his movements were once again his own. He could feel his ears burning with the frustration. He wrestled on the ground with the monster for several seconds before managing to get his arm fully around its neck. With one big heave the creature’s neck snapped and the body fell limp. 

 

Grim held the closest creature to the compound in his cross-hairs, waiting to see if the smaller caliber bullets from the rest of the group would suffice before wasting the precious few that they had for the massive .50 caliber rifle in his hands. The first creature stumbled as the small metal projectiles tore through its flesh. Small rivulets of blood could be seen all along the entirety of its body. If you counted each one you would notice that over fifty rounds had found their target, and the creature had just barely started to show signs of slowing.   
Richard had been watching the scene play out before him with unbelievable speed. It only took a second for him to realize the unbelievable resilience of the monsters. Without any hesitation he issued new commands.   
“Adjust fire, everyone aims for the nearest creature” His words were drowned out by the constant gunfire, however the three fire team leaders were close enough to hear and immediately passed on the new instructions.   
“GRIM” Richard screamed at the top of his lungs, “LIGHT UP THE NEXT TWO”  
Grim had already predicted his leader’s instructions. The recoil from the shot hit his shoulder with the force of a cannon. The third creature was sprayed with a red mist as a hole the size of a bowling ball erupted from the second one's back. The bullet went strait through. Grim braced himself as he squeezed the trigger a second time, the Third creature his intended target. The creatures head practically exploded. Only half of its jaw remained attached to the neck. Both of the trailing creatures fell lifeless to the ground. The first had only made it about three hundred feet further before the smaller projectiles had taken their deadly toll. They had learned one very valuable lesson throughout the altercation, guns worked.   
An explosion erupted from somewhere to the south of the compound. The shock wave that followed shook the entire foundation of the building, throwing those that weren't already lying down to the rough concrete surface. The Eastern wall cracked and began to crumble. A large crack raced diagonally across the rooftop, connecting the east edge with the north. The isolated corner shuddered and before anyone realized what was happening, it collapsed. The entirety of the third fire-team as well as two members of the second disappeared in the debris that fell crashing to the ground.   
Richard was the first to make it to the edge. He dropped immediately to his stomach, attempting to peer through the debris at what had come of his men. Alex had also disappeared into the abyss that had opened up beneath them. Soon everyone was gathered around the enormous gap in the buildings structure. Only Grim held back, his attentions focused on where the explosion had come from.   
“Get back everyone” Deckland's voice could be heard over the still present thrumming of crumbling rock and cement. “This part of the roof probably isn't stable. Head downstairs and see if you can help!” Like lemmings the entire group turned and marched obediently down into the compound to look for survivors and survey the damage inside. In a matter of seconds Grim, Deckland, and Richard were the only ones left on the roof.   
“You're fat ass didn't want to run and help?” scoffed Deckland when he noticed that Grim remained behind. Grim ignored him, focusing instead on what he was seeing through the scope of his rifle.   
“I asked you a question!” Deckland exclaimed as he proceeded to kick Grim's leg.   
It only took a fraction of a second for Grim to draw his sidearm and level it at Deckland's head. It wasn't the gun, but rather the look in Grim's eyes that held Deckland at bay. He froze in his tracks, wondering if Grim actually had the guts to shoot him right here in front of Richard.   
“It's not that I don't want to help” Grim stated flatly, “I'm just not stupid enough to leave the safety of the compound in your worthless hands.” His words were laced with venom born from years of hatred for the man that now mocked him.   
Deckland had been a bodyguard pre-storm, and he was very good at his job. His focus was limited however, he lacked the sense to pick up the big picture. The thought that something must have caused the explosion that tore apart the compound hadn't even crossed his mind, and now that Grim was pointing a gun at him he was more focused on his insulted pride than anything else.   
“You are going to regret that move. You don't seem to recall the chain of command around here. I'm going to have you exiled you fat waste of resources.” Deckland had a smug grin on his face. He hadn't even noticed Richard walking up behind him.   
“And what chain of command are you referring to Deckland?” Came his deep calm voice.  
Deckland turned with a start and was held once again transfixed by the stare of a man that didn't really seem to care for him.   
“If I recall correctly, you are simply another member of the guard when I am present. You only have authority when I'm gone on mission. The one whom actually takes power if I die wouldn't be you either. So tell me, WHERE THE HELL DO YOU GET OFF ATTACKING THE ONLY ONE OF YOU THAT WAS SMART ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT TRISTON ISN'T BACK YET, AND JUST MAYBE MORE OF THOSE FUCKING THINGS MIGHT BE OUT THERE?” Richards face had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet as his face flushed with rage at his bodyguard’s incompetence.   
Deckland looked truly mortified as he stammered to formulate words to come up with a response. Grim was already back to scanning the surrounding area, his focus shifting the moment Richard had materialized behind Deckland.   
Grim's sights remained transfixed on a spot that almost seemed like it had been scorched by fire. The terrain seemed off to him. He knew the layout of the land in this area so well he could have drawn you a detailed geographic map from memory. What lay before him didn't quite match the mental picture he knew so well. A hill that had been there was missing entirely. There was no fire blazing, in fact the area seemed to be devoid of anything at all. The ground looked darker than the patches of dirt spaced sporadically across the landscape. The sight sent shivers down his back. A hand on Grim's shoulder caused him to jump unexpectedly.   
Richard knelt next to him looking at him quizzically.  
“You look like you saw the end of the world heading in our direction” Richard said with a surprisingly worried tone.   
“Not quite” Grim responded as he glanced back through the scope. “Take a look out there, does something seem off to you?” Richard was slightly taken aback by his comrade's lack of a sarcastic response. It left him feeling uneasy.   
Richard shifted his gaze to the terrain, pushing his troubling thoughts to the back of his mind for later analysis. He had sent Deckland down into the compound to get a status report on both the casualties and the damage to the facilities structure. In all reality he wanted to speak to Grim privately. Grim had always had a dark personality, but he was perceptive and intelligent. When you came to a roadblock he could always be counted on to realize that it wasn't natural and was probably a trap. His deductive reasoning was uncanny. Few saw that side of him the way Richard did, mostly for the simple reason that they didn't ask.   
It took several seconds for Richard to focus on what he was doing and realize that the terrain had changed. Now he understood what Grim had said. It was “off”. A large dark space stood where there had once been a large hill. The darkness of it was unsettling. Like it was sucking in the light from the area around it. It had unbelievable contrast to the rest of the landscape that was now bathed in the early morning sun. A small movement near its edge suddenly caught his attention.   
Grim watched as Triston moved steadily towards the compound. His clothes were shredded however his body didn't show any signs of harm. He showed no signs of having a weapon at all. He's said there were seven creatures earlier. If they had only killed three of them, did that mean that he had taken on the other four empty handed? Grim no longer had any doubts about what he was feeling towards the stranger, it was fear.


	5. Chapter 5

Triston glanced about the gathered bodies of those that had fallen from the roof, or been crushed by the falling debris. Alex was among them. All of them were still able to be saved, so why was he hesitating? “You know why” whispered a little voice in the back of his head. Triston shook his head to clear it. He stepped towards Alex first. She lay on the ground, her breathing labored, her leg twisted at an awkward angle. She looked into his eyes as he approached. She was silently pleading for him to help her. Her chest only rose on one side each time she inhaled. She had punctured a lung. He felt a pang of jealousy as he knelt down beside her. He was watching what could very well be her last moments. The thought was causing Alex to panic, but it left Triston with an indescribable longing. He longed for death to relieve him of his burdens, but death always seemed to enjoy mocking him too much to end the game.   
Triston's hand brushed Alex's forehead and for a moment he could feel what she felt. The pain, anxiety, fear of the unknown future. A sudden memory flashed through his mind. The blinding lights above him fading slowly into blackness. The pressure of someone beating on his chest. Specks of water, tears, were falling from somewhere he could no longer see, landing on his face and mixing with his own.   
The flash only lasted a moment before Triston was back in the present. Alex's eyes were locked with his, wide with panic renewed. There was no doubt in his mind that she had seen it as well. Triston solemnly placed one hand on Alex's stomach and allowed his powers to seep into her. Her leg gave a sickening crunch as it shifted back into its proper position. The rest of her injuries soon followed. Triston moved from one person to the next, breathing the breath of life back into them.  
Alex stood leaning against the partially crumbled north wall watching Triston work. She kept trying to recall what she had seen but it was like grasping at smoke. She could, however, recall how she felt during the vision. The sense of urgency, confusion, sacrifice...love. The more she thought about it the more she wanted answers.   
Riley burst into the room disrupting Alex's thoughts. She raced to Triston's side and waited patiently and quietly as he worked. She followed him like a shadow, silent yet persistent. When Triston finally finished she slipped her hand inside of his and simply smiled up at him. He glanced down at her and gave a warm smile in greeting. Not a word passed between them. They walked back towards the doorway Riley had emerged from when Triston stopped suddenly. His gaze met Alex's before his eyes darted towards the stairs to the rooftop and back again. Alex got the hint and immediately headed in that direction.   
Triston knelt next to Riley as Alex passed them and began speaking to her in a voice too low to be overheard. Alex passed him without pausing and made her way up the stairs. The feeling of walking them without painstaking difficulty was still foreign to her and she almost stopped at the top of each flight simply out of habit. This was the second time Triston had pulled her from the brink of death and she couldn't help but think that it was a sign. She jumped as a second pair of feet suddenly fell in step with her own.   
Triston's eyes seemed to take in all of her at once, analyzing everything about her. She couldn't help but blush as they looked her up and down. His gaze wasn't that of lust, but rather longing and understanding all mixed together. She fidgeted uncertainly under his gaze. She hadn't even heard him until he was right next to her. He turned and walked silently towards the roof. She hurriedly jumped back into step with him. She had so many questions that she felt she needed to ask him, but didn't want to push him when he finally seemed like he was willing to talk. She would let him pick the topic and go from there.   
As they reached the final landing Triston stopped just before the door and looked back at Alex, pressing one finger to his lips instructing her to be quiet. He barely cracked the door to the rooftop just enough to hear what was being said beyond. Alex listened intently to whatever Triston seemed so interested in.   
“…possible to rebuild it” Came the first voice that Alex immediately recognized as Grim's.  
“So you think that we should just leave it how it is?” scoffed Richard's voice. “Just let the raiders, rain, snow, and who knows what animals come waltzing on in and get comfortable?”   
“No”  
“Anything else to add to that?”  
“We should leave.”  
“And go where? We don't know what else might be out there. Where will we find the food? Or shelter?”  
“Ask Triston” came Grim's dry response.  
“You want me to put our lives in that freak's hands?”   
“You already did once.” There was a long silence after that. “His plan worked. To top it off he turned around and healed every single person that was injured in the collapse.”  
“And none of that bothers you?” Richard's voice seemed incredulous.   
“It all bothers me. He isn't human. If he wanted us dead though he could have simply left us here to fend for ourselves. Those seven monsters were easily enough to take us out. Whether we like it or not he saved us. Maybe we are just pawns in his own game, but unless you see a better option we might just have to play along.”  
“How can you be so ready to just play along? You of all people are the one that I figured would have a solution to this insanity.”  
“He scares the hell out of me.” Alex was shocked. As long as she'd known him she had never once known Grim to admit he was scared. “I doubt even this .50 could put a dent in him. How do you beat something you can't kill? He shows up when we least expect it, he literally blew up our front yard or if he didn't do it he still survived the blast. He literally killed four of those things with his bare hands.”   
Both parties stayed quiet for almost two full minutes, the weight of Grim's words weighing heavily on both of their minds.   
“I don't want to roll over and accept that we are his pawns, but if he is trying to use us in some game, I'm not sure I want to find out who he is playing against. At least not without him on our side” Grim's words still hung in the air when Triston pushed the door the rest of the way open and it banged loudly against the cement wall it was attached to.   
“I just seem to be everyone's favorite topic of conversation” Triston spat as he walked out onto the rooftop.  
Grim and Richard both stared at Triston in disbelief. They had been certain he was down tending to the injured members of the compound. They wouldn't have risked talking about him unless they were certain that he was occupied. Grim didn't even attempt to speak, he simply watched the newcomer suspiciously.   
Alex walked out directly behind him. Richard looked physically relieved at the sight of her.   
“I wasn't sure how you were after you fell. I'm sorry I wasn't down there to help dig you out. “  
“I understand” Alex interjected before he could get any further. “You had everyone's futures to consider.”  
Alex had been slightly disturbed by the direction of the conversation that had been taking place before her, but she understood it. Triston seemed more irritated than angry about the whole thing. Almost as if they were missing the big picture.   
“Well if you are going to make a decision I suggest you make it quickly. There will be more of those monsters coming soon. You won't be able to rely so heavily on me in the future, so you'd better figure out something.” Triston stated flatly  
“Are you saying that you won't help us?” Richard inquired with almost an accusing tone.   
Triston's eyes flashed violet once again. “It doesn’t matter what I want, right now it doesn’t seem like I will even be able to.”  
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.   
“I can't control all of my powers anymore” Triston said, his gaze falling to his feet.   
Everyone sat in silence waiting for an explanation. Slowly the door to the rooftop opened and Riley came running through. She made her way to Triston's side and slipped her hand into his. Her blue eyes met his and a small smile made its way across his face.   
“I told you to stay in our room until I was finished” Triston said in a light voice. Riley simply smiled back at him. He knew that she wouldn't listen.   
“I have a darkness inside of me” he continued after a short pause, “I can't quite describe it. Imagine for a moment that you locked a terrible monster inside of your armory. You need to get in to that room in order to reach the supplies vital to your survival, guns, ammo, things of that sort. If you barely open the door the creature can't escape, but as your needs grow, you have to risk opening the door slightly further, and every time that you do you risk letting the monster escape. If it were to get loose you may never be able to cage it again. It would destroy everything and everyone that crossed its path.   
The metaphorical door in this instance is my emotions. Anger, hatred, pain, fear...each of those opens the door a little further. My power is hidden in that room, and all that keeps the door closed is my unwavering focus and control of my emotions. I've never let my guard slip before, not until today anyway.” Triston's eyes slowly drifted towards the dark spot that perverted the landscape before the compound.   
A light of recognition sparked in Grim's eyes. “How did you handle the four other creatures while we took out the other three that charged the compound?” he asked.  
Triston gave another slight smile as his eyes met Grim's.   
“I can truly only account for one of them.” he admitted. “The other three were dispatched by whatever it is that's inside of me. They surprised me, and without my power I am unsure as to whether or not I could have survived. That's when the creature took over.”  
“So almost like Jeckyll and Hyde?” Grim suggested  
Triston gave a slight chuckle at the thought.   
“Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde is a story based off of a doctor that invented a formula that transformed him into the monstrosity that is Mr. Hyde. He would drink it to become the monster, and would change back when the formula wore off. The key difference to that story and my situation is that I didn't drink a formula to create this monster. I don't know how mine came to be.”  
“So you have a dark side to you that you can't control” Richard summed up. “Should this dark side take over, what can we do to turn you back? Is it time based like Dr. Jeckyll's formula?”  
“No” was Triston's immediate reply. “If I completely lose control to this 'dark side' as you call it, I don't know if I can ever come back. It's a part of me simply waiting for its opportunity to strike. I honestly don't have all of the answers for you. There are things that I can't tell you right now, but I'm willing to share as much as possible to help with what may be coming. I will leave, should you ask it of me, but I would like to stay. I fully understand the risk that you are in by keeping me around.”  
“So what use would you be to us then if you don't have any power?” Richard asked  
“I'm a good shot with a gun. I can heal those that are injured, not just physical injuries either. I can manipulate everything about someone, cure illnesses, things of that sort. I still have my strength, speed, heightened senses. I am not worthless by any means.”  
“You know we will have to discuss this.” Richard said as more of a statement than a question.   
Triston nodded his head and turned to leave, Riley in tow.  
“What are you?” Grim asked suddenly.  
Triston turned back to face the group that all stared intently back at him.   
“I can't tell you that, but I have no doubt that you will find out in due time.”   
Without another word Triston disappeared through the doorway and down into the compound. Alex moved a little closer to Grim and Richard. Richard would take their opinions into consideration but in the end the decision was ultimately his.   
Richard turned away from the other two and walked to the edge of the rooftop looking out over the scenery before him.   
“What the hell is going on?” He thought out loud.   
No one had an answer for him. They were all weighing the possibilities of keeping Triston around.   
“Triston if you can still hear me I'd like you to come back up here please.” Richard said in a regular conversational voice.   
The door opened seconds later to admit Triston back onto the rooftop.   
“Your hearing truly is incredible isn't it?” He asked. Triston simply nodded in response.  
“Not much discussion I take it” Triston stated.   
“We all know that we don't stand a chance against those things without your assistance.” Richard confirmed. “I need to know what role you expect to play. I've run this compound since we established it and I have a couple hundred people to consider at all times. I'm not going to simply let you come in and pretend that we are all expendable.”  
“With all due respect, if I'd believed them all expendable, I wouldn't have saved them.”  
“Fair enough” Richard acknowledged, “but that still doesn't answer my question.”   
“For now just think of me as one of your soldiers. I have information on the world outside of this compound. I know these creatures and I may have a word of input here or there, but I will gladly leave the decision making to you. I don't need the stress diverting my attention from keeping my emotions in check.”  
“So if I give you and order, even if you don't like it, you'll follow it?” Richard wanted undoubted confirmation.   
“So long as it doesn't put Riley at risk I am yours to command. I may have input just so you are aware of the possible consequences, however the decisions will be yours.”  
“Good” Richard said with finality. “Then you are welcome to stay.” Grim and Alex both physically gave a sigh of relief at his words. “Given our current situation, what would you do? We can stay and try to repair the fallen walls, but I have no means by which to do so. The other option is that we leave and try to find somewhere better suited for our defense.”  
“I can already tell you that this compound isn't suited for our needs. If you truly wish to stand against these creatures, you will need an army that can match theirs. More people, more weapons, and a place to accommodate both.” was Triston's reply.   
“The only place with buildings like that would be in the remains of downtown” Alex interjected sarcastically.   
“Then that's where we should go.” Triston suggested.   
“Do you have any idea what downtown is like? Atlanta is a war zone. Different groups are always fighting for control. It's a death trap.” Alex scoffed.  
“They never had a reason to band together before.” Triston protested “Plus it would give us a chance to recruit them. You all may be vulnerable to their attacks but I'm not. Let me go in first. I can convince them of the greater threat posed by those creatures without the risk of anyone getting hurt. As Grim said before you realized I was listening to your conversation, how many people are willing to fight someone they can't kill? I can be the catalyst that brings us all together.”  
“You are talking about murderers, rapists, bandits, and people who have done even worse things. You truly want them fighting alongside you? Or sleeping in a bed next to you?” Alex protested.  
“He's right” Richard interrupted.  
“You're kidding right?” Alex asked incredulously.   
“We need numbers. Without them we won't stand a chance. We will have Triston lay down the ground rules when he overpowers them. If they can't agree then they will be overtaken. If they break the rules they die.”  
“So now we are going in to conquer them?” Grim asked   
“If need be.” Richard gave Grim his hard stare. “We used every rifle we have at our disposal in this attack and we barely stopped them in time. We used up a lot of ammo in the process. If we don't acquire more guns, ammo and men we don't stand even the slightest chance.”  
Alex and Grim remained silent. Neither of them approved of this plan, but it's also why Richard was the one in charge. He could make the difficult decisions.   
“How many more of those creatures are there” Grim asked Triston.  
“More than there are people left in the world. They have an army. That's why we need all the help we can get.”  
Silence fell over the rooftop as the gravity of the situation sank in. There was a good chance that even if they did bring everyone together they could still lose. That was never a comforting thought.


	6. Chapter 6

The compound was turned upside down over the next two days. Richard sent Triston out to scout the surrounding areas for places that he thought would be good rest stops for the group as they made the transition into the main city. They had no way of communicating in the meantime so it would eventually turn into a waiting game.   
Alex sat next to Grim under the tower cover scanning the terrain in the mid-afternoon sun. Alex had spent the last thirty minutes filling Grim in on the details of the unbelievable group dream that everyone had experienced aside from the few compound members that had been awake. As she retold the story she became frightfully aware of the implications it showed in terms of the power of the people after Triston. She was certain that they were safer keeping him in their company, but the feeling of unease that inhabited her mind refused to be ignored. There was so much they still didn't know about the newcomer.   
Grim had accepted the story without much speculation. He listened, never interrupting and never asking any questions. He simply accepted that what she said was what happened. They had had to take turns packing what little gear they were going to be able to take with them. No one was sure what the actual distance of this trip would be, or how many times they would be able to rest. If it weren't for Richard's stoic leadership and certainty that this was the best course of action, it was doubtful that anyone would have followed them at all. Now the entire population was preparing to leave, all two hundred and thirty-seven of them.  
They only had enough weapons for roughly a quarter of the people that would be with them. Triston was also supposed to try to see if he could locate any other groups that might be able to help them with a little convincing. If not he was ordered to take whatever would be necessary to better the chances of the compounds survival, by any means necessary. Triston was against the idea, and he made that blatantly clear, but he said he would do as he was instructed.   
Alex's vision swept along the landscape, hesitating for a moment on the black mass that Triston had admitted to being responsible for. The sight gave her goose bumps. She shifted her gaze back to Grim who seemed to be in deep thought. Before she could make any inquiries the door to the rooftop burst open. Riley rushed through followed closely by bear who was wagging his tale and barking happily. Riley had been put in charge of taking care of him while everyone else prepared to move.   
The greatest obstacle on the journey was going to be food and water. They didn't have any means by which to carry more than what each person was capable of carrying on their own. Everyone was given a pack that they would have to carry every step of the way. Clothes, weapons, tools, food and water. That was a lot to fit in one tiny pack. Richard planned on sending people back to scavenge what they could after the transition was complete, but there was no real guarantee that that would even be possible.   
Riley ran to the edge of the roof and stopped, looking out as far as her eyes could see. She regularly came up to look and see if she could catch a glimpse of Triston returning. Her demeanor was completely different now that she wasn't worried about Triston leaving again. She interacted with everyone and always seemed to be smiling. After a few seconds and confirming that Triston could not yet be seen she turned and ran to where the two lookouts were sitting, bear running ahead to greet Alex as if he hadn't seen her in days.   
There hadn't been any signs of the monsters that had attacked the compound before aside from the rare shriek far off in the distance. Nothing ever came into sight, they didn't keep their presence a secret however. Alex had no doubt that Triston had encountered more than one as he carried out his mission for Richard. She couldn't help but wonder if he would engage them or avoid them if possible.   
As her thoughts drifted to Triston her mind began to wonder. Each time their eyes met her breath would catch in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was his intimidating aura, or simply her own infatuation. She couldn't deny that he was attractive, but she was terrified of him all the same. He was unpredictable and didn't seem to show any interest at all in her, or anyone besides Riley for that matter. She couldn't help but wonder what he would do if their situation became dire. Would he stay and fight with them until the end, or would he run to prevent his dark side from wrestling control away from him? She would fantasize that he would choose them, despite the possible consequences, that he would choose her. Her daydream was interrupted by Bear suddenly shifting his head and ears out towards the east, his attentions completely captured.   
One of the rare shrieks rang out, much closer than any before had been in quite a while. A second shriek rang out from somewhere much further away. If one was approaching, it would seem that it was alone. Without a word Grim grabbed the large fifty caliber rifle from it's resting place against the makeshift barrier and began looking in the direction of the unnatural sound. Bear began whining, his eyes shifting uneasily to different spots along the landscape, as he danced uneasily where he stood.   
Riley immediately grabbed him by the collar and started tugging him in the direction of the stairs.   
“Come on Bear, we better get inside before anything happens.” She said hurriedly  
Bear reluctantly allowed himself to be directed away by the young girl but kept his head facing the direction of the threat that remained just out of sight. 

“Found it” Grim said as he peered through his rifle scope to a spot far off in the distance.

Alex's mouth went dry at the thought of one of those creatures attacking when Triston wasn't here to help them. She grabbed her own rifle and leveled in the same direction as Grim's, resting the barrel on the barrier so she didn't have to hold the entire weight of the weapon on her own. She barely managed to catch sight of a shadow moving extremely fast off in the distance. It didn't seem to be moving directly towards them, but that could change at any moment. She had trouble following its path due to the great distance between them. It was easily five miles out, maybe more. Both snipers were completely focused on tracking their target, not a word was spoken between them.

 

Richard sat at his desk in the room that had surely been the production manager’s office back when the compound was still a canned food factory. He was looking at an old map from before the firestorm trying to figure out roughly how far they would have to travel to find a building suitable to house them all as well as provide a greater advantage when it came to defense. Atlanta was only about twenty miles away, but it was impossible to tell how many buildings would still be standing, or even be suitable for housing them. Then once they found it they would immediately have to get to work fortifying their position to be ready to withstand the strength of those creatures that had attacked before.  
Richard had been busy circling the buildings that he was sure would have been suitable before the storm had come through. Many of them probably wouldn't even be standing but there was a chance that one of them would be. Deckland sat in the seat across from him, looking as irate as ever. Richard knew it was only a matter of time before his bodyguard started voicing whatever it was that was bothering him, invited or not.   
Richard frustratedly ran his hand down his face in hopes of wiping away some of his weariness but to no avail. The last few days had taken their toll on him. He had convinced the majority of the population that moving was their best option left, he had been forced to promise more answers in regards to Triston in due time. For now they would just have to trust him. That one hadn't really gone over so well, especially since almost all of them had witnessed him using his powers after the collapse of the north east corner. Richard had no idea how to explain the stranger to them when he had almost no real knowledge about him himself, aside from the fact that he wasn't human. Obviously he didn't have ill intent or he wouldn't have healed their friends and family members in the first place, which was the cornerstone of his argument that led to them accepting the little bit of information that he was able to give them. 

“We need to take advantage of the leverage that we have against him” Deckland blurted out, interrupting his thoughts. 

“What do you mean?” Richard asked, never taking his eyes off of the map that lay before him. 

“That little girl is all we need to control that freak. Make sure he knows that if he betrays us we won't hesitate to put a bullet in her head.” Deckland's words were filled with hatred.

Richard finally looked up and met the eyes of the man before him. “And what exactly would we gain by doing so?” He inquired.

“Well it would guarantee his support. He wouldn't be able to run away if things get hairy. He would know that you will be the one calling the shots. He would never do anything to endanger her, so he would never even consider leaving us high and dry. I can just stay close to her so that if he ever got any funny ideas we could put him back in his place.”

Richard's face flashed with anger at his colleague’s proposition. “And if he called your bluff?” Richard almost whispered.

“My bluff?” Deckland asked with a dumbfounded look on his face “I wouldn't be bluffing. If he got out of control I'd kill her. Just like that.”

“And then what 'leverage' would you have to keep him from ripping you apart limb by limb?” Richard was furious now, his fists clenched tight.

“Well we wouldn't ever actually need to do it.” was his rebuke. “The second we threatened to hurt her he would turn right back into a good boy and listen to his masters every command, without question.”

“And if he decided to take our threats as a reason to kill us? He doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat, and he doesn't get tired as far as we can tell. Our bullets don't even slow him down. I personally put one in the back of his head point blank and he didn't even seem to care. Why in the world would you WANT to piss him off?” Richard was nearly yelling at the end of his rant

Deckland was lost for words as he attempted to come up with some sort of solution. 

“If we don't use her we have no way of controlling him” he finally said lamely

“Maybe the best way to guarantee his loyalty, isn't to control him. Did that ever cross your mind? A friend will rush to your aid much faster than a slave will. He has been cast out from his own people, those monsters threaten him and Riley's lives every day. Giving him a place to feel welcome and accepted, now that is how you earn his loyalty. He's been on the run for so long he would probably give anything to have a place to call his home. If it earns his assistance in times of need, I'm more than willing to be that for him.” Richard's face was stern and the resolve he wore was unwavering.  
Deckland stood and walked towards the door. He turned to face Richard once again as he opened it. “You are going to give the lives of these people over to something that isn't even human. That is a mistake. We can't trust him. How many people left in the world pass up the chance to take advantage of those weaker than them? He will use us, then he will dump us as soon as it is of benefit to him.” He slammed the door as he left and Richard waited until his footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs before he got up.   
Deckland did have a point, but Richard would never let him know that when it came to such a reckless decision. Triston would have no trouble killing all of them if he believed they intended to harm Riley. He was never vulnerable, they frequently were. Every leader worth his salt knew that cornering people made them a hundred times more dangerous. And when it came to this special case, Triston was already dangerous enough. Keeping him as a friend was the only chance that they really had.   
Richard sat back down and glanced over the map that he had been using another time, mentally noting where each of his red circles were that indicated possible buildings they could occupy. They were going to be unbelievably vulnerable during this transition. No cover, extremely limited supplies, distrust among the people. You couldn't ask for a worse situation. He believed it when Triston told them that they would all die if they stayed here however, so he knew that this move was necessary. He could only pray that fortune was in their favor. At the very least, they had a super-soldier at their disposal.   
Richards thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a single explosion, the kind of explosion you hear when someone fires a fifty caliber rifle. Richard grabbed the AR-15 he kept displayed on the wall of his office for just such occasions and quickly made his way out to investigate. He had no doubt Grim had hit his mark, he always did, but who's to say there was only one of those creatures attacking? Everyone with a gun would be heading to the roof. They might need the firepower. 

 

Triston looked out across the deserted landscape. He stood in the center of what had no doubt been the camp of a group of travelers, possibly raiders. It had since been abandoned and very few signs remained as to which direction they would have traveled in. Luckily Triston no longer had to rely on physical evidence to find what he was tracking. That all ended a long time ago. He listened carefully to the sounds of the world around him. His heightened hearing was easily one of his most useful attributes. This was one of the situations that proved that.   
Triston froze, all of his bodies movements ceasing all at once as it reacted to the danger that he suddenly realized he was in. Something had managed to sneak up on him, something that was nearly impossible. Then again Triston couldn't sense things the way he could before he left the supernatural army. When he turned away he distanced himself from the source of their power. He hadn't faced the abominable creatures that now plagued the earth since he counted himself among their ranks. That didn't excuse the fact that he had missed the one that was presently hunting him.   
The longer he listened attentively to its movements the more he was certain this creature was different. The ones they faced the other day were the basic ground troops. Dumb and powerful, relying almost entirely on brute force and overwhelming numbers. This one wasn't rushing around mindlessly looking for prey, rather it was being careful not to be detected. It was making rational decisions. That meant it was a second class.   
A second class monster was considerably bigger than their first class counterparts. It was stronger, faster, smarter, and a thousand times more dangerous. It had managed to mask its presence up to this point and if Triston hadn't been so focused on his sense of hearing he still wouldn't be aware of its presence. He turned to face the direction it was hiding in, deciding on his best course of action. He could outrun it he was certain, but if he allowed it to escape it would no doubt hunt down and kill countless people and eventually become even stronger. No it was best to face it now. He just had to hope it was alone. Risking losing control could have much worse repercussions than allowing the creature to live.   
The creature, realizing that it had been discovered, slowly emerged from around the remains of the crumbled building it had been concealed behind. Its massive frame was as big as the cab of a semi-truck. It weighed considerably more however. Its overall appearance was similar to that of the first class monsters, the only discernable differences being its overall size, the size of its fangs and claws, and its eyes. Their glow didn't fade and return, instead they remained illuminated constantly. It ensured that they had perfect vision, even in the dark.  
Fresh blood dripped from the creature’s maw, which was the sound that had given its location away to Triston's ears. The blood was fresh seeing as how it still flowed in a liquid form. No doubt this creature had just recently ascended to the second class of monster. Its gaze never shifted from Triston. It knew he wasn't human. It's likely it had abandoned its previous hunt as soon as it had caught sent of him and moved to intercept.   
The creature had come considerably closer to Triston in the few short seconds it took him to contemplate his best course of action. It lunged with blinding speed. Triston barely managed to roll beneath its hulking frame before it impaled him upon its blood stained claws. Triston had no weapons to speak of, and in his current condition couldn't create one out of sheer willpower like he once could. The amount of power required was too risky. The creature landed gracefully despite its overzealous lunge and was resuming its assault the second Triston had regained his feet.   
The young warrior gracefully dodged each attack the monster threw at him, dancing ceaselessly from side to side, ducking and rolling away from the razor sharp claws that on more than one occasion came within an inch of his face. He was going to have to strike soon or he would be overcome and no doubt lose control to his dark side. In one sudden move Triston ducked under the sweeping claw of the creature and slid directly beneath it. With his back on the ground Triston kicked upward with both legs as hard as he possibly could. The impact would have immediately ended the life of a weaker monster, but this one wasn't your ever day run of the mill creature. The sound of bones crunching rang out as several of the creature’s ribs gave way to the force of Triston's blow. Triston rolled to his right, hoping to get clear of the creature before it could recover and resume its assault.   
Triston screamed as he felt the creature’s fangs sink into his right bicep. He hadn't been fast enough. Triston turned and attempted to reach his free arm around the creature’s neck as it whipped him through the air with unbelievable malice. Triston's body continually worked to heal the injuries as they were inflicted. His unbelievable healing was the only reason his arm was still attached to his body. The creature’s neck was too large for Triston to reach all the way around it so he made an impulse decision. He punched at the creature’s jaw from underneath, his fist puncturing the thin layer of skin and muscle between its jaw bones. Triston Gripped his right forearm with his left hand and pulled with all of his might. With a sickening pop the creatures jaw gave way as it was evicted from its socket. Triston dropped to the ground and leapt backwards to get clear of the creatures deadly claws.  
Triston could feel the pull of his power on his mind. He wanted to unleash it, to finish this ravenous beast with the ease he once could, but doing so would no doubt put him over the edge. His dark half was trying to ease him into a false sense of security. To convince him to use his powers just one time, because that's all it would take. Triston held his right arm with his left as the tissues attempted to stitch themselves back together, but the process was taking longer than usual. Something was wrong. He glanced back at the creature in time to see its jaw pop effortlessly back into place. The skin beneath its jaw was once again in tact as well. Triston could only hope that the blow to its ribs was sever enough to delay the creatures own healing.   
A chorus of loud bangs erupted from behind the creature as a hail of bullets began ripping into its flesh. Triston could hear the yells of several people as they organized their assault on the beast. The vain attack was enough to catch the creature’s attention. It shifted to greet this new assault and in that instant Triston struck once again. He traversed the gap between them before the creature even finished turning its massive body towards its new targets. It wouldn't have pursued them, it knew that Triston was the greater threat, but it had been distracted long enough to give Triston his opening.   
Triston kicked at the center of the creature’s front right leg, crushing the bone and causing it to collapse. In a single move Triston had leapt into the air and landed easily on the creatures lowered head. He stomped with all the force he could muster at the base of its skull. A loud snap rang out as its vertebrae gave way under the impact. The creature stumbled and dropped to its stomach, still very much alive. Triston slammed both of his fists down on the back of the creatures head caving in a portion of its skull. Triston knew better than to think that the monster was finished just yet. He leapt down behind its left foreleg and punched into the creature’s rib cage with all the force he could muster. The bones snapped like sticks.   
Triston struck three more times in immediate succession. The second blow broke through the flesh of the beast spilling blood all over the ground and drenching Triston almost entirely. The blood was darker than that of a human, almost black, but still with a red hue. Triston's third strike was the killing blow. His fist passed through the already healing bones like paper and crushed the creature’s massive heart. The weak flesh shredded as his fist passed through it. A haunting gurgle emerged from the creature’s throat as the last seconds of its life faded away.   
Triston dropped to a knee on the blood soaked ground and focused on allowing his body to heal. He now understood what was slowing his healing, the creature’s fangs were poisonous. It was the perfect weapon to slow his healing enough to be a threat. These monsters were certainly designed to kill Triston and those like him. Triston's careful concentration of small amounts of power allowed him to eliminate the poison and allow his body to finally heal over the gratuitous wounds inflicted on his right arm. As the skin of his arm knitted itself back together into a flawless replica of what it had been, he slowly stood and turned to face the group that had fired at the beast, and more than likely saved his life.   
A girl now stood only a few yards away from him, her rifle aimed directly at him. Both parties paused as the recognition sank in.   
“Victoria” was all Triston said. The girl immediately lowered her weapon as tears filled her eyes.   
“Triston” She choked through her sobs. “We need your help. Can you still do what you did before? Can you heal people?” Victoria's entire body was shuddering, Triston was unsure if it was relief or grief that drove her emotional reaction to seeing him  
Triston simply nodded and didn't say a word. Victoria dropped to her knees, her tears growing stronger by the second. All she could do was point in the direction of the rest of her group. Triston didn't need any more explanation. He knew this group. They had traveled together for a time and he had ended up revealing his powers to them in order to save a large number of their wounded before parting ways. Riley was much to thank for that.   
Triston nearly vanished he moved so fast. He passed the rest of the dumbstruck members of her group and searched desperately for whomever he could save. It was only a short distance before he found the location they must have been in when the creature attacked. Three dark pools of blood were slowly soaking into the dirt. Two of them surrounded bodies, the third surrounded what was left of one.   
Triston knelt next to the closest figure. He was a dark skinned man that was obviously no stranger to hard work. His muscular frame was mangled. Two large gashes ran the horizontal length of his chest, his left arm lay in a shape that the human body wasn't meant to be able to create, and a number of cuts and abrasions littered the rest of his exposed skin. His eyes were closed but Triston could still hear his heart faintly fluttering in his chest.   
Triston placed a hand on his chest and called forth the required power to reset death's clock. The man's body began automatically correcting itself. His arm realigned and shifted until it lay strait at his side. The skin throughout his body closed around the numerous lacerations, suffocating them from existence. His eyes opened and he immediately sat upright, sheer panic still dominating his face as he began scanning the immediate area for the monster that had filleted him.  
Triston rose without a word and moved on to the second body. This one didn't have a heart beat and the body was in similar distress. He was still salvageable however, but Triston had to move quickly. He could pull off some amazing things with his power, but even he wasn't able to truly cheat death. The body could be broken beyond his capabilities, this one was extremely close to those limitations. Triston focused as his power trickled into the man's body, ensuring the vital organs were repaired first, then moving on to the more artificial injuries. The man gasped as the life flooded back into him. As he stared down at his most recent accomplishment he noticed a presence that hadn't been there before. One that without a doubt wasn't of this world.   
Triston looked quickly up and saw her standing there, only a few feet away, staring at him. She watched him as he knelt over the man whose body he was still repairing. She looked as though she couldn't be more than sixteen, but she gave off an energy of something much, much older. As their eyes met Triston could almost feel the pain and sorrow that those eyes portrayed. Her deep brown eyes shifted towards the third pool of blood and her sadness deepened. Her eyes shifted back to Triston before she gave a weak smile and vanished as quickly as she had come.   
Before Triston could comprehend what had occurred he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. He turned his attention toward the newcomer and saw the first man he had healed walking slowly towards him, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. He wasn't looking at Triston, he was looking at the man on the ground in front of him. Triston returned his focus to the second man and finished repairing his tormented body. As he finished he could hear the group that had assisted him with the monster returning.   
“Who the hell was that?” Came one voice, obviously female. 

“He was fighting that thing with his bare hands. Did you see what he did to it? Its chest was practically ripped open.” That voice was male

“Why don't you ask him yourself?” Victoria's voice was laced with malice. She was upset, and for obvious reasons. As her words ended the group came around the corner of a dilapidated building and into view.   
Triston stood and turned to watch their approach, trying to gauge the amount of hostility he would be met with.   
“How the hell are we supposed to ask him when he van...” the man's words were cut off as he caught sight of Triston. He stopped dead in his tracks along with the other five. They all stood in disbelief as they saw their companions not only alive, but moving. The second one Triston had healed had sat up and was touching the areas on his body that he could have sworn had been ripped open.   
Tears once again filled Victoria's eyes as she began sprinting towards the two men, her auburn hair shimmering in the afternoon sun. She threw her arms around the large man Triston had healed first. He hugged her back, fumbling over words that he couldn't seem to properly form. 

“I don't know what...how...but I thought I was...” his eyes relayed his confusion even better than his pointless stammering. 

“Don't try to understand it yet. You will have your explanation in just a minute” Victoria promised as she turned to the second man. She raced forward and hugged him too. She then turned to where the third victim had been only to fall short before she could even take a step. Her eyes frantically searched the body parts, looking for the third man.   
She slowly turned towards Triston, her body shaking. As their eyes met Triston couldn't help but to shift his gaze towards the ground. 

“It was too late. These two were salvageable, but there was nothing I could do for the third. He was too far gone, there wasn't enough left for me to put back together.” Triston could have chosen his words more carefully, but he needed to be blunt with her so she wouldn't harbor any false hopes.   
Victoria dropped to her knees. Triston had recognized the few body parts that had remained of the third person. He knew who it was that had been devoured by the creature. It was one of the few people Triston had counted among his friends, and it was Victoria's lover. If they'd met before the storm they would be husband and wife, but as it was now, marriage didn't exist unless both people had been lucky enough to live through the fire. Victoria had lost her partner.  
Victoria collapsed in a fit of sobs as the others looked on in dismay. Triston glanced around at the feeble group. Aside from Victoria there were two other women and five men. All of them were faces that he didn't recognize. One of the females turned to Triston tentatively. He dropped his gaze to meet hers, anticipating the barrage of questions that he knew were coming. 

“Who are you?” she asked 

“His name is Triston” Victoria choked out as she tried to hold back her tears and regain her composure. She knew she had to be strong now. 

“Not good enough, I need more than a name” she said 

“You don't need anything!” Victoria snapped. “Triston is my friend. He's saved my ass on more than one occasion. He's the reason Zach was around long enough for you all to meet him, and I promise if he hadn't shown up when he did we would all be dead right now.” Victoria was attempting to exercise her authority.   
Back when Triston knew Victoria she and Zach had been the leaders of a group of traveling guards for hire. They would help groups of nomads get from one establishment to another and fight off any bandits or raiders that they may encounter. The only payments they would accept were guns or ammunition. It was a solid system. Back then they had twenty-five people.   
Triston and Riley had ended up in their company when they were traveling with another group. They had figured out that Triston was good in sticky situations. He used guns to avoid revealing his powers so he fit in nicely. He and Riley ended up staying with them for the better part of a year. He'd hidden everything from them until the day they had parted ways.   
They ended up outnumbered in a firefight during a transport and Zach, along with many others, had been hit. He was dying right in front of them. Riley had pleaded for Triston to save him, but to be honest this was one of the few times Triston probably would have done it without the child’s persuasion. He liked Victoria and Zach. Their group helped people and only took payment that would allow them to continue helping people. On more than one occasion they had guarded groups for free because they had nothing to pay them with. Zach wasn't willing to let them try to travel alone without weapons. They could have taken everything from several of the people they helped that were much better off than they were, and yet they didn't. They valued loyalty and honesty. It was rare to find anymore.   
The moment Triston laid his hands on Zach and healed him he knew he was going to have to say goodbye to them. He hadn't given an explanation as to why. It was too complicated and the less they knew the better. The use of his power drew too much attention. This time was different. Things had changed drastically with the appearance of the monsters. Triston was risking more and more each day. Those that were searching for him already knew he was alive and it was only a matter of time now before they found him. 

“That still doesn't tell us...” she began

“Shut up!” Triston commanded, his eyes flashing their usual brilliant blue. Utter silence followed his sudden exclamation, all eyes were now on him.   
“As she already told you my name is Triston, and I am a friend. You will just have to take my word on that part. Yes I fought the monster bare handed, and yes I'm still standing. Get used to it. I don't have the time to give you a full explanation. All I'll tell you is that I'm not human. I have the power to heal people that are hurt, even those on the verge of death, and I'm more than capable of taking life just as easily. Zach and Victoria are my friends, and that's why I helped you today. Had she not been there this could have gone very differently. Now I'm out here on a mission, not some leisure stroll.” Triston walked forward and stood directly before Victoria, making a point that the rest of this conversation would only be for the two of them.

Where is the rest of your group Victoria?”

She seemed unwilling to answer Triston as her eyes fell to the ground. Triston realized what had happened before Victoria opened her mouth, but he allowed her to answer anyway.

“They're dead. You know what it's like out here. We were losing numbers faster than we were gaining them. What you see here is all that we have left. Yesterday we had more, but we had our first encounter with one of those creatures. It killed four of us before we took it down. We lost one more today” she was almost whispering she spoke so softly. 

“You all took one down with only thirteen people?” Triston asked, the surprise evident in his voice

“Like she said we lost four.” said the girl that had initially started questioning him. “It's not like it’s some great accomplishment.”

“You have no idea how impressive of an act that is. We had over thirty, the protection of cement walls, and an elevated shooting position that allowed us to shoot them from a long way away and we barely took out three. To be honest the only real reason we did was because we had a .50 caliber rifle at our disposal. Without that we might not have made it.” Everyone in the group looked at Triston incredulously.

“You expect us to believe that you had trouble with three when you just went toe to toe with that giant one?” one of the men interjected. 

“My group had trouble with the three. Not me. I was already predisposed.” Was his short reply. 

Victoria watched Triston as he spoke. He wasn't the same man she had known a year ago when they traveled together. He generally avoided imposing authority. He refrained from drawing attention to himself. He had hidden all forms of his power from them up until he healed Zach. Now he used it freely and willingly gave instructions. Something was different now. She couldn't be sure what however. Triston's gaze met with hers and his expression grew soft. He felt sorry for her. She hated that. 

“I need to speak to you privately Victoria.” Triston said with finality. “Now. I'm almost out of time here.”

Victoria turned and walked away from the group. No one objected. They still weren't sure what to think about Triston, but they did know they didn't want to piss him off. They all privately hoped Victoria would get more information and relay it to them. Triston followed her to the corner of the fallen building they had come around just a few minutes before. It was far enough.   
She stopped and leaned against a piece of the wall that was still standing and folded her arms. She was angry. Triston walked until his shoulders were even with hers, just to the side of the wall she was leaning against, staring off into the distance. He needed to speak to her, but he knew she had things she needed to say before he would be able to make any progress. She was hurting, and she was going to want answers. 

“Why did you leave us?” Her question was an accusation. 

“I didn't have a choice.”

“Bullshit”

“I didn't. After I healed Zach I was going to be placing you all in danger and Riley as well if I stayed. There are people after me. People like me. If I use my powers they can feel it. Then they almost always come running. If I wasn't there they wouldn't have any reason to harm anyone. So I left.”

“So what's different now? You don't seem to be heading for the hills and yet you just healed two people.” Her tone remained cold and sarcastic. Whether she believed him or not, Triston couldn't be sure. 

“All this time those people believed that I was dead. When they felt power they assumed it was someone else that went rogue and they would come searching to figure out who. Well now they know that I'm still alive, and I'm not going to be able to hide anymore. They will find me no matter what I do, it's only a matter of time. Being that it no longer makes a difference, I have no reason to hold back anymore.” 

“And when they do find you?”

“There is a good chance I won't make it.”

They both fell silent for a short while. Triston didn't want to move on with his own questions until he knew she was finished. He had never seen Victoria this way. She had always been smiling and happy. She was almost happy to the point of being annoying. He was pretty sure most of it was an act to keep everyone's spirits up, but he never caught her lying about it so maybe not. 

“So why are you here? You said you are on a mission. What is it?” she finally asked. Her tone seemed a little more relaxed than it had been, but still not warm. 

“I'm looking for survivors. The creatures that have been attacking, there is an army of them. I'm acting as the ambassador for a group that is trying to raise an army of their own to give us a fighting chance.”

“How the hell are we going to have a fighting chance against an entire army of creatures like that?” She asked shocked 

“We are moving. We are heading into Atlanta. If we can find a building that's still standing we can make it our base of operations. It would be enough to house thousands and give us a huge defensive advantage since we can have people shooting from multiple levels in all directions. All we need are the numbers to man it. And the ammo.”

“So you've already found this building?” 

“No not yet. I haven't scouted that far ahead. My group is still back in their compound. I'm just trying to find people to help as well as find safe places to rest on the way there.”

“So there might not even be a building, but you are going anyway?” she scoffed “That is a huge gamble. How many people are you moving?”

“A little over two hundred.”

“Are you kidding me? How the hell do you expect two hundred people to make that trip without being noticed? That's not possible.”

“I don't expect to go unnoticed. That's another reason we need more people with guns and ammo. I'm not telling you all this just to get your opinion. I want you guys to join us Victoria.” 

She looked at him with a stoic expression on her face. This was a huge gamble and she didn't like it. Then again being out in the world at all right now was a huge gamble. These creatures were bad enough one at a time. An entire army of them would mean certain death. Maybe numbers were their best bet. 

“Are all of your people armed?” she asked with a sigh

“No. we only have enough weapons for about a quarter of them. That's why part of my assignment is looking for more.” Victoria openly laughed. 

“Fifty guns to protect two hundred? Triston you remember our preferred odds on a transport. You always have double the number of armed to unarmed. It prevents you from spreading your firepower too thin and creating vulnerabilities. You aren't taking a risk. That's a suicide mission.”

“No. I won't let it get to that point. You don't have to join us. This is an offer. You would be a key member though. You understand what it takes to travel out here. At the same time you know where all the settlements are throughout the entire state. We need you Victoria. And judging by the state of your people you need us just as badly. Yes we are short on guns and ammo now, but I'm sure you know where we could go to get more. Help us, and you better all of your chances to get through what's coming.”

Victoria didn't answer. She sat thinking to herself for a long time while Triston waited patiently. He was supposed to have been back to the compound by now, but he knew that this was important. Victoria's group could make a huge difference for them. Just the fact that she knew where they could find more people made this worth it. 

“You don't have to answer now. I don't expect you to without talking to your people. We are going to be here in this exact location by tomorrow night. The remains of these small buildings are good cover for a rest. If you want to join us, just be here when we come through. If you want to help us, but don't want to join us just leave whatever you can in the center of this building, buried. I won't hold it against you either way. You need to take care of your people, just like I have to take care of mine, but I want you to imagine how it would be if those happened to be the same people.” With that Triston turned to leave. 

“Zach shoved me out of the way when the creature attacked.” Triston stopped and turned back to Victoria. “I watched it rip him apart, eating some pieces, tossing others to the side. It batted Chris and Tyrone to the side like they were nothing when they got too close.” Triston quietly watched as the tears built up in her eyes. “We watched as the thing changed. It grew. Its eyes were different. It happened so fast” She said, each breath she drew accompanied by a shudder. “I can't even begin to tell you how many rounds we put in the thing, and it didn't even seem to notice. We easily doubled the amount we put in the first one and it went down. This one just wouldn't.   
It started walking to Tyrone and then just stopped. It turned and took off this way like a bat out of hell. We followed in hopes that maybe some other group was passing by and we'd have some help, but it was you. You were fighting the thing with your bare hands. It should have ripped your arm off but didn't. Our bullets did nothing, but you were able to take it on with just your hands.   
Part of me was so thankful you were there, but another part hates you. Why couldn't you get here sooner? Why did you abandon us without so much as an explanation? I know you said it was to protect us, but we needed you. Zach might still be here if you'd stayed. Now I feel like we don't have a choice but to follow you. Guns don't kill those big bastards, they barely work on the small ones. How the hell are we supposed to survive without you? How is anyone? Why didn't you realize that sooner? You could have brought us with you...” Victoria's rant finally stopped as she collapsed, overcome by grief.   
Triston could feel the foreign pull on his mind of his darker half as he was flooded with guilt, sorrow, and a plethora of other emotions. He couldn't lose it, not now. He blinked back his own tears as he knelt down to attempt to comfort Victoria.   
“I know that I failed you Tori.” He said using her old nickname, his voice soft. “I've made a lot of mistakes. I'm here now though, and I won't abandon you again. Their deaths are all on me.” As the words left Triston's mouth the pull on his mind surged. He jolted to his feet, throwing his arms over his head as if to ward off an attack, fighting to keep control. As the pull grew stronger there was one emotion that he realized was dominate over all the others, rage. His guilt had been making him angry, angry at himself, and he hadn't even noticed.   
It seemed like hours passed as Triston remained in a tug of war with his own mind. Slowly the pull subsided, leaving him panting and sweating on the ground, Victoria leaning over him, lightly shaking his shoulder. He rose to his feet slowly and looked meaningfully at her tear streaked face.   
“I have to return now” He didn't even acknowledge the event that had just occurred. He didn't want to explain it. “If you decide to wait for us here, and you get into trouble just call for me. I promise I'll come. You will always have my protection from now on. This time Triston turned and he didn't stop as her tears started up again. In the blink of an eye he was gone. Victoria had never felt so alone before in her life.


	7. Chapter 7

Triston stood before Richard in his private office. Alex and Grim stood against one wall with Deckland leaning against the one opposite. He'd just finished recapping his findings over the last two days. Everyone waited in silence for Richard's reaction as Triston described his encounter with what he called a second class version of the creatures they had come to know. As he got to the part where Victoria and her group intervened everyone seemed to start paying closer attention. His story finished with him giving them his offer.   
“What did they say?” Deckland pressed. 

“I haven't received an answer.” Triston stated flatly. 

“So you didn't come back with weapons and you didn't recruit the obviously capable group that you did run into?” Deckland's tone was accusatory.

“And what would you have me do?”

“Tell them to join us, surrender their weapons and ammo, or die. We need those supplies. If they choose to be out on their own then they are going to die anyway. We'd be better off with their equipment than leaving it out there for scavengers to find.”

“We need numbers, killing everyone I come across won't accomplish that. You need to give them time to consider the offer. If word got out that we were slaughtering people that refused us, who would possibly join our cause? All that would do is make us a giant group of raiders.” Triston retorted.

“If you give them an ultimatum most people will chose life.” Deckland countered.

“Enough, both of you” Richard finally said. “You said that you knew the leaders of their group?”  
“It's only one leader now. The second was killed, but yes. I traveled them for nearly a year.”

“What are the chances that they will join our cause?” He asked

“They just suffered a great loss. If I hadn't arrived when I did, they would all be dead. If anything they know that they owe us. Even if they don't join us they will at the very least leave us some weapons and ammo in the location that I specified. But I truly believe they’ll join us. Victoria is a passionate and well qualified leader. She's been running routs with the guard for two years. She knows the area like the back of her hand. She could lead us to countless more potential recruits.”

“Ok.” was his only response. 

Deckland stared at Richard, dumbstruck. He couldn't believe that he was going to let Triston off just like that. He had had the opportunity to take them captive and bring them back. None of them could overpower him so why not? They could torture her for the information and take their weapons achieving all of their goals all at once with immediate results. 

“Does anyone else have anything to add before you are dismissed?” Richard asked the group.   
Grim leaned slightly forward, “Tell us more about this 'second class' monster.”

“What would you like to know?” Triston asked. He didn't feel like going into a history lesson so he would allow them to guide this conversation. 

“First off, the group you encountered said they watched it transform. How does that happen?”

“These creatures need a catalyst in order to ascend, that's what we called it. They need a human soul. The soul is bound to the body by the heart. If the victim dies before the monster can consume the heart the soul is no longer residing in the body. They will eat you alive in order to ensure they get their catalyst. Once they have it, they change. It's immediate. If you think that the basic little ones are scary, you are in for a very big surprise the first time you see a second class.”

“How do you kill one?” Was his immediate question afterwards. 

“You have to destroy their heart. A second class can regenerate much faster than a regular one. Their regeneration is actually very close to my own, so getting to the heart can be a problem. Apparently our regular rifles can't do it. The group I saved filled him with enough lead to kill several small ones.”

“What about the .50?” He asked persistently. 

“I honestly have no idea” Triston admitted. “It has the destructive potential and penetration power to get the job done I'd imagine, but I've never seen it attempted.”

“Why is the heart the only spot? Wouldn't the head be an easier target?” Alex asked

“Easier yes, but it's worthless unless you can remove it completely. Not even the .50 is big enough to do that. The creatures healing in fueled by its blood. As long as blood is flowing through its body it can continually heal. If you cut off its circulation, you kill it for good.”

The room fell silent again for a moment before Richard stood indicating the end of their little powwow. 

“I have one more.” Grim finally said. “I think all of us are wondering this, but we don't really want to know the answer. If the little ones can ascend to a second class, can a second class ascend further than that?” Grim had been correct. Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing, but they all knew the answer. They just didn't want to hear it confirmed. 

“Yes, and should that ever occur, I suggest you say your final words. I can't stop one. Not in my current state. A third class is a whole new nightmare and it will ensure the deaths of everyone. Let’s just pray that never happens.”

The silence that followed wasn't your usual pause in a conversation. The air was tense with the feeling of dread. If a second class was so hard to stop, how long would it be before there was a third class running around? Things weren't looking good.   
As the others began moving towards the door Richard moved around his desk and placed a hand on Triston's shoulder. “You stay. I want to talk to you about something.”

The others left without another word. As the door closed behind them Richard sat back down behind his desk. 

“What happened out there?” he asked simply

Triston had intentionally left out the part where he almost lost control during his conversation with Victoria so he wasn't sure what Richard was referring to. Unless he knew more than he was letting on. 

“I'm not sure what you mean” 

“You only searched an area fifteen miles away from the compound. Granted you went about thirty miles in each direction but I've seen you move. You could have searched the entire state in two days. Yet you didn't. Why?”

Triston's shifted nervously from one foot to the other, he felt like a child being scolded by his parent. “I'm afraid of risking too much and losing control. If I'm moving at my fastest even the slightest distraction can make me miss an ambush. That's what happened on the initial assault on the compound. I got distracted and they took me by surprise.”

“I believe you when you say that you were being careful, and I don't know you that well, but if you think that this is all you are capable of, Triston, you are lying to yourself. I'm not entirely sure I fully understand what is going on with you, but I can say that telling yourself that you are trying your best when you aren’t, only makes things worse. You'll make mistakes, we all will. The consequences of those mistakes may remain with you for years to come. One day it may all be too much, and you will fall, but that isn’t right now. Right now, we need your help, we need all that you have to give.”

“And your opinion then, what would you have me do?”

“Stop lying to yourself Triston. It's the only way you will ever be able to stop holding yourself back.” Richard’s words stung and initially Triston wanted to reject them, however he couldn't. Triston knew that Richard was right. He was lying to himself.

“Thank you sir” He said before turning to leave the room.

Alex waited patiently outside of Richard's office. She was nervous. She was waiting for a chance to talk to Triston alone. The two of them hadn't truly been alone since he had nearly killed her when she tried to stop him and Riley from leaving. She wiped her palms anxiously on her jeans. At some point or another they had begun to sweat. She heard footsteps approaching the door, the private conversation between the two hadn't lasted very long.   
The door opened and Triston stepped out. He looked troubled and didn't even notice Alex standing there. This was the first time she would ever be able to take him by surprise. As the thought crossed her mind Triston stopped and his eyes shifted to her, busted. Her palms began to sweat again as their eyes met. 

“Were you waiting for me? Or did you want to talk to Richard?” he asked nonchalantly. 

“I...I was waiting for you actually” Alex stammered. “I was wondering if we could go somewhere to talk?”  
Triston looked at the girl who was fidgeting awkwardly before him. Triston felt a pang of remorse. He remembered all too well the force he had used to subdue her when he tried to leave. He wanted to go find Riley, but he knew he should humor her. 

“I'm headed to the roof.” Triston said as he motioned his head in the direction of the stairwell. “We can talk there.”  
The two left without another word. Triston's thoughts were erratic and jumbled. He was thinking about Victoria and Zach, protecting Riley, the trip that would start in a few short hours with a group entirely too large for traveling, and lastly he was worried. His former allies turned enemies would come looking for him soon. It would only be a matter of time before they found him. He was slightly curious about what Alex wanted, but it wasn't pressing on him like the other issues.   
Alex on the other hand could think of nothing but the present moment, her thoughts thoroughly scrambling themselves inside of her head. She had no idea how to talk to him. Now that they were headed to the roof together, the things she wanted to say didn't really seem all that important in the grand scheme of things. Maybe she was just wasting both of their time. Alex stopped walking. Triston stopped and turned, his eyes curious. 

“Maybe this can wait...” Alex started. “I know you have a lot to think about and do. This really isn't all that important.”

Triston didn't say a word, he simply took a step towards her, took her hand in his, and continued towards the roof, pulling her along with him. Alex was lost for words. She stiffly allowed herself to be led away. She didn't fight him, instead she focused on the feeling he gave her. The butterflies in her stomach had been there before he grabbed her hand, but the tingly sensation she now felt was new. It was as if Triston's entire body was electrified and she was feeling some of that. It wasn't painful, if anything it was warm and comforting. She wondered if he knew that he caused sensations like that when he touched people. Or was it only her that felt this?  
Triston finally released her hand as they made it to the staircase. Alex couldn't help but notice how everyone stared at him as they passed. They had all seen him perform his miracles, yet they were still suspicious. Triston hadn't seemed to notice at all however. She herself had received a few strange looks when people noticed that they had been walking by hand in hand. They walked up the stairs side by side. She wondered if he had to try to move this slowly. With how fast his movements normally were, did it take conscious thought to slow them?  
Triston opened the door and stepped to the side to allow her to cross the threshold first. Alex felt herself blush, and immediately regretted it. She hadn't meant to, but it had been years since someone had held a door open for her. She made sure that she kept her face hidden from his eyes until the redness faded from her cheeks, well at least she hoped it had.   
Riley was on the roof playing with bear. She would run and he would chase her. At random moments she would stop and bear would jump to a stop just in front of her. His head and fore-paws lowered, his butt in the air, tail wagging madly. He hadn't had someone play with him this much in a very long time. Riley laughed as he lunged at her and licked her face, then she was off again and he was chasing her. It made Alex smile to see how much joy and laughter she still had in her. Triston really had taken care of her. Her every need had been met.   
Triston walked over towards one of the edges of the roof. He nodded at Grim as he passed the lookout post. Grim nodded back in acknowledgment. The two of them still hadn't spoken one on one as far as she knew, yet they trusted each other. Simple acknowledgment was all that their relationship needed for now. They almost seemed like old friends.   
Triston sat down at the edge of the roof and gazed out at the evening sun. It wouldn't be long before sunset. He had one knee propped up, his adjacent arm wrapped around it holding him in a sitting position. The other leg lay strait, its adjacent arm thrown back behind him, palm against the ground. Alex starred at him, in the golden light cast by the suns fading rays, he seemed to glow. He looked like someone had just pulled him out of a painting. His blue eyes turned and met hers again, and just like the first time they met Alex's breath caught in her chest. He was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it.   
Triston gave her a soft smile, the kind he usually gave to Riley, and motioned for her to sit. Alex walked shakily forward and plopped down next to him, allowing her feet to dangle off the edge of the roof. She glanced over to find him watching the sun as it made its slow decent. This was the first time she had seen him completely at ease, and smiling to boot.   
“You can't read my mind or anything can you?” She stammered as the possibility wiggled its way into her thoughts.  
Triston gave a little chuckle. “Right now? No.” Alex's sighed and relaxed in utter relief. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she relaxed. “I have to be touching you.” he added with a sly smile.   
Alex's spine shot bolt upright once again at the sound of his words. She starred determinedly out at the setting sun, refusing to make eye contact. Her cheeks flushed once again with embarrassment at the thought of what he might have seen when he grabbed her hand earlier. Triston laughed, a full hearty laugh this time.   
Alex turned and gave what she truly hoped was an intimidating leer. “Those are my private thoughts thank you” she almost shouted. Triston was almost rolling with laughter now.   
“I....was only....kidding” Triston said between bouts of laughter.   
Alex felt herself flush once again. He hadn't known what she was thinking, but her reaction to his words very blatantly gave it away.   
“Are you always this immature?” She asked in a serious tone  
“I'm just trying to lighten the mood.” Triston said as he regained his composure, the stoic mask once again dominating his face. “You were almost too nervous to function. I just figured I'd break the ice or we would be up here all night waiting for you to finally say what you want to.”  
Alex couldn't help but smile. Triston let the mask fade as once again a smile found its way to his lips.   
“I guess I should thank you for that” Alex said awkwardly. “I wanted to thank you. You warned me your first night here that you weren't the people I should be worried about. I didn't listen. I didn't even pass off the information like I should have. Then you turned around and saved me when you didn't have to.”  
“You can thank Riley for that” Triston interrupted. There was a slight pause before he continued. “I truly would have left you. I was trying to hide. Using my powers is like lighting a flare in the middle of the night. The people I left were under the impression that I was dead. It was better that way. Using my powers would ruin all that, or at least risk ruining it. It wasn't a gamble I wanted to take.”  
Alex looked at Triston's face, he wouldn't turn his eyes to her. They stayed steadfast in the direction of the sunset.   
“You still did though. Even if it wasn't for me, I'm still here because of you. The second time, Riley didn't ask you for that.” Triston slowly shifted his eyes to her but remained silent. “I guess I just want you to know that I am grateful. I can't say that I fully understand the risk that you took in doing any of it, but obviously it was a lot. Thank you for that. For feeling that we were worth the risk.”  
Triston's eyes shifted to the ground. He hadn't done the things that he had done for them, he did them for Riley. She needed people in a way that he didn't. She needed a home. She needed more than he could possibly give her. The better off this group was, the better off she would be. Alex didn't need to know that though. Not now at least.  
Alex didn't know how to react to Triston's silence. She hated pauses in conversation so she started wracking her brain for anything else to talk about. Small talk just didn't seem fitting for this situation, but she wasn't ready for it to end just yet. It only took a second before she came up with something.   
“When you healed me the second time. Maybe I'm crazy, or maybe it was because I was nearly dead, but I thought I saw something. It didn't feel like I was me. Do you know what that was?” She tentatively asked.   
“It was a memory. When I said I couldn't read your mind that wasn't entirely true. When I touch someone, I can express my thoughts or memories on to them. They can do the same to me. It isn't automatic. You have to want it to happen.”  
“So you wanted to show me...whatever I saw”  
“Not exactly, I was just so focused on it that it happened by accident. Seeing you like that just brought back certain memories.”  
“What memory was it?” She asked uneasily, not sure if she was overstepping. Now that he was talking she really didn't want him to shut her out yet.   
“One from a long time ago. To be honest it feels like forever ago. An entirely different lifetime.”  
That was the only answer he was willing to give her and Alex wasn't prepared to push further.   
“Can you show me something else? Anything, even if it's just you running around the compound”  
“Why?” His tone was dangerously serious.  
“I...I just want to see it again. I don't really feel like I got to appreciate it the first time, even if it was accidental.”  
“Why do you want to know so much about me? Why can't you just accept that something much different from yourself is trying to help you? You all have to know everything about me, what I am, where I came from, how my powers work, how much power do I really have? I told you I can't talk about it.” Triston snapped  
Alex was dumbstruck. She hadn't intended to probe the way that he felt she had. She immediately grew defensive. She hadn't done anything to instigate this kind of reaction.   
“That's bullshit and you know it. You just don't want to tell us. But that's not what I was getting at anyway. I just wanted to try to get to know you a little better. I'm not looking for your life story. How the hell do we get to know you if you don't talk to us?”   
“You don't” Triston said with an air of finality.   
“Why are you being such an asshole?” Alex said almost pleadingly “I'm just trying to be nice and give you someone to talk to. You walk around acting like you are invincible but we know you aren't. There are things you are scared of too. I get you that have to be strong for Riley, and for us now that you are back to being Mr. Soldier, but pushing people away is just going to make things worse. You bottle all this shit up until you are ready to explode. No wonder you have a dark side to you.” Alex huffed as her rant came to an end. She hadn't even noticed that she had risen to her feet. 

“Hey love birds” Grim called over to them. “You fight like an old married couple. Can you keep it down, you are scaring the kids.”

Alex glanced over and saw Riley standing next to Grim looking concerned towards Triston and she couldn't help but blush once again. Why did Grim have to call them lovebirds anyway? Rumors spread around this compound faster than they did at her old high school. It's how people entertained themselves anymore.  
Alex looked back at Triston who's eyes were locked on her. She froze under his lethal gaze. He looked pissed.   
“I'll show you something.” He said coolly. Alex waited patiently for him to elaborate. “I don't open up to people because when they are taken from me, I may not be able to fight off the dark side if it tries to take over. I can't let myself get close to them, because others will take advantage of that. Riley is almost too much for me to handle. I won't be able to protect her forever. Why would I want to add someone else to that list? I can't save everyone.” Triston's voice trembled as he finished. His jaw was clenched.   
“I'll show you why I deserted the good army. How they betrayed me, and maybe then you'll understand.” Triston slowly extended his hand out towards her, tears brimmed in his eyes, but failed to spill over the edge. Alex slowly reached out her own trembling hand. She was terrified of what she might see, but at the same time there was an eagerness to share in a piece of his life. The second their fingertips touched it all want black. 

 

Alex looked through eyes that weren’t her own. He stood at the gate of his home, one hand resting on the latch that would open the gate that sat before him. Sweat still poured down his face from the run he had just finished. A middle aged woman stood before him in the doorway, arms crossed against her chest and a rather stern look on her face. A little girl stood just behind her with an adorable smirk on her face, the kind that kids wear when they are about to watch someone else get in trouble. Both girls had beautiful dirty blond hair and blue eyes the older of the two's was long but tied up in a bun. The younger one had it cut just above her shoulders. There was no sound just moving images. Triston opened the gate and walked into the yard as the little girl broke out from behind the woman and rushed full speed at him. He picked her up as she giggled relentlessly. He threw her over his shoulder and started towards the door. She looked almost exactly like Riley, just shorter hair.  
The image suddenly melted away to a new one. Triston sat on his bed with headphones in. Sill there was no sound. Suddenly the door to his room opened and the little girl from the previous memory ran into the room. She jumped on the bed and wrapped her arms around Triston's neck. She draped her head over his shoulder so that their cheeks touched before pulling out his left ear bud.   
“I love you” she whispered. The sound was as clear as if Alex had been right there.   
“I love you too Emma.” he whispered back softly.  
“You gonna win again?” she asked  
“I hope so” was Triston's reply. “It's going to be harder than it's ever been”.  
“You'll win” she said with confidence. I'll even give you this for good luck.” she opened one of her small hands to reveal a simple plastic bead. The smile that broke out of Triston's face and the immense rush of gratitude that he suddenly felt helped Alex to understand the curious objects significance.  
“It was lucky for me just like you said it would be” she said with a proud smile  
“There's no way I can lose now” Triston whispered back as he softly kissed her cheek.   
The image once again melted away to reveal a new one. This one was in a slightly sharper focus and Alex could hear everything, all the way down to the water dripping form a faucet that wasn't quite shut all the way off. They were in the front yard of Triston's house from the first memory, but the feel this time was drastically different. Alex was almost overcome by the panic and fear that coursed through Triston's veins.   
Triston was different now. The feel of humanity she experienced before was gone. A sword that had been held in his hand slipped from his grasp but vanished before it had the chance to hit the ground. Tears blurred his vision as he dropped to his knees next to the smaller of the two bodies. Blood was quickly growing into a pool around the both of them. It soon spread to the point where Triston's knees were soaking in it, but he didn't notice. He simply stared at her beautiful face.   
“Emma” he whispered. He paused for a second to see if she would respond. “EMILY!” He screamed. The scream was that of a man in mortal pain. The word was almost indistinguishable but he didn't care. He needed to scream. He slowly lifted her limp body. She was so light. She was barely eight years old. She didn't deserve this. Triston cradled her lifeless body in his arms. He wasn't wearing a shirt, simply a pair of jeans, so her blood ran freely down his bare chest and stomach and soaked into his pants.   
He squeezed her tightly to his body. Almost as if he could join them together and give her solace in his own frame. He held her with one hand and reached out with the other to grasp the hand of the other woman.   
“Mom...you have to wake up” He was immediately overcome with sobs as he gripped his sister's tiny body even tighter. She hadn't deserved this. Neither of them deserved this. What had he done to deserve to be punished so? He had agreed to fight in this war in order to protect them. Now they were gone, nothing was left of them to carry on, and it was all because of him.   
“WHY?” Triston screamed to the sky with every fiber of his being. Storm clouds began gathering at an alarming rate just overhead. Triston's power was running rampant. Bolts of lightning began racing along the sky overhead. Several bolts seemed to strike him, but he gave no notice, he was so engrossed in his own despair. As the rain began to fall Triston could suddenly sense a presence behind him.   
Triston turned his body without getting up. He extended one arm in the direction of the newcomer as the sword he had dropped earlier suddenly appeared once again in his hand extended towards the intruder. His other hand he still held the lifeless frame of Emma. Her blond hair blowing about erratically in the sudden gusts of wind that seemed to appear from nowhere. Triston's eyes burned a brilliant deep blue as his powers continued to erupt freely from his body.   
A man stood a few yards away, just out of reach of Triston's sword. He looked at the grieving man with pittiless in his eyes.  
“Aaron” Triston muttered. “I thought you were here to help me. I trusted you” He spat through clenched teeth.   
“I was simply following orders.” was his emotionless reply. “Kill the family, so no one will ever be able to use them against you.”  
“The only reason I'm here is because of them!” Triston screamed. “I wanted to save them.” He dropped his sword once again, defeated. Tears filling his eyes once more.   
“None of that is my problem.”  
“What are you talking about? We were friends! I helped you defend your own family when no one else would!”  
“And look how much good that did!” Aaron shouted back. “You are the reason they died. I'm just returning the favor.”   
Triston had never felt so much rage in his life. It started eating at him, vying to break free. He wanted to rip Aaron's head from his shoulders. To watch as the life faded from his eyes.   
“The best part.” Aaron added with suspense, “Is that I'm not finished.” with that he vanished.   
“Heather!” Triston whispered in painful realization. He slowly lowered Emma to the ground next to her mother, and lightly brushed her now wet hair behind her ear. She looked so peaceful, but Triston knew that that was only because that everything that had made her was gone now. He shifted his mother’s body so that she lay on her back, and proceeded to clear the blond hair from her face as well, making them as presentable as possible to whomever might find them. He shifted their arms until they were holding hands, like they had so many times in life. His mother and his sweet little sister. At least they would no longer be in pain. He only wished he could forgive himself for abandoning them. Maybe if he hadn't they would still be here.   
Lightning flashed and another presence appeared behind Triston. This time he knew who it was. “Did you have anything to do with this?” He asked, still not turning from their lifeless bodies. Triston knew that he should be rushing towards Heather, to protect her from what was coming, but he couldn't bring himself to leave them.   
“No” Came a woman's reply. “I was ordered to stay out of it after I spoke against it.”   
“And like a good dog you listened” Triston said once again through clenched teeth.   
“No. I acted against them as well. I was too late to save your mother and sister, but I've shielded Heather. They won't find her.”   
“How were you too late? Were you not standing there when the order was issued? You couldn't have just stopped it then?” Triston's anger grew with each word.   
“No. I was hunting. I learned of the plan after my return. They were already moving to carry them out.”   
“I thought we were supposed to protect humanity. To save them. Not take the lives we are sworn to protect!” Triston screamed at the sky. Lightning flashed once again.   
“Triston I need you to listen to me. I saved Heather. She's frightened and alone right now. She needs you.” Triston slowly rose to his feet at the sound of her words. He needed to see her for himself. To ensure that she was truly safe. He took one last deep breath and looked longingly at the still faces that lay before him.   
“They will pay.” He whispered knowing that the woman behind him was listening to every word. “I will destroy them and everything they have built and hope to achieve. You are my witness Anabell, so run and report it to your master” He spat the last word with utter hatred. “I reject it all. I will stand against them until my last breath. I am cast out. I will never return to come to their aid. I will be the one holding the torch and watching as every last one of them burns. I will show them the true meaning of wrath.” Triston's eyes flashed a brilliant violet for the first time and immediately he felt a change engulf his body. His power twisted as fire engulfed him. The flames, originally yellow and orange, rapidly faded until they looked like nothing more than dancing shadows surrounding him. The fire had become all consuming, a visual depiction of his soul.   
Anabell gasped from behind them as the flames grew darker still. Without another word she vanished and Triston was left alone with his pain and anger. He looked down at Emma, and around her neck he saw the pink bead that they regularly exchanged for luck. Almost a full year later and she still had it. Not only that, she kept it with her. Triston reached down, Alex could feel the warmth of the love he felt rushing through his body as he grasped the tiny object. He gently pulled until the tiny string that held it gave way, careful not to disturb the one that wore it. Triston gripped the tiny bead and as fresh tears once again filled his eyes the image vanished. 

 

Alex opened her eyes. She lay motionless on the rough concrete that made up the roof. Above her the sky had turned a brilliant shade of blue as the clouds that streamed carelessly across it seemed to glow a warm pink. The sun’s rays had turned to liquid gold. Alex rolled to her side as the sudden urge to cry enveloped her. She broke down like she hadn't cried in years. The tears never seeming to want to stop. She held herself in the fetal position and simply cried until she was numb all over. Though she was looking at someone else's memory, she felt as though she had just lost her own family all over again. Despair clung to her and refused to loosen its wretched grasp.   
When the sobs that racked her body finally faded the sun had finished setting. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, sniffling and wiping her nose. Triston still sat beside her. Tears streaked his face but the stoic mask he regularly wore had replaced the emotion filled face she had left before entering the memories.   
“I can't even allow myself to grieve properly anymore without the risk of handing over my body to whatever the hell that it is inside of me. You got your memory, now it's time for me to go.” Triston said as he rose to his feet.   
“Wait” Alex said, her voice hoarse from crying. “Does Riley know...about Emma?”  
Triston had already taken a few steps before she finally got the question out. He paused and looked over his shoulder at Alex, she truly looked pathetic, sprawled out on the ground, still shaking from the force of her tears. He wanted nothing more than to sit down next to her and hold her. Comfort her and allow her to comfort him in return. He had never had the chance to truly mourn the way she was now. He felt a pang of envy an instant before he could suppress it.   
“No....and I'd prefer it stayed that way.” he said. Triston left Alex lying there as another wave of grief washed over her. She hadn't even known Emma or his mother, but then again the emotions she was feeling weren't hers, they belonged to Triston. She was feeling them in the way he couldn't allow himself to.


	8. Chapter 8

The move started early the next morning. Richard sent out the wake up alarm as soon as the sky started to lighten indicating that it was almost dawn. Triston alone stood guard throughout the night so that everyone else could get some sleep. Alex had been able to sleep deeply, but she was haunted by nightmares of the memories that Triston had shared with her. The image that stuck with her most was of Emily lying lifeless and still. Triston's own hands soaked in her blood as her dirty blond hair slipped through his fingertips.  
She woke with a start when Richard and Deckland began shouting their commands. The trip would be long. We all knew that. In a group this big we were bound to attract some enemies. Humans would be hesitant to attack a group this large, but the monsters would find their numbers invigorating. They didn't have enough guns to arm everyone, but all of the guns were out and ready. The ammo was distributed sparingly seeing as that they didn't know how long it would be before they could get any more. They really were pretty good in that category, but ammo was useless without weapons to fire it.  
Triston had received his instructions for the move the night before. Richard ordered that he move to the nearest vantage point and scout ahead of the main party. If he saw anything he was to fire a single round into the air. If there was an ambush he would be able to handle it easily, if it was monsters he would withdraw to the group and they would work together to take them down. The people with guns were spread out well enough to provide decent security but Richard didn't trust most of them to hold their own any further than he could throw them.  
Alex was to be the one that lead the group. She was talented, well trained and could disperse orders quickly and effectively. Grim would stay in the center carrying the big gun. They had used the tires from the truck the raiders had attacked them with and built a cart big enough to carry a good amount of the necessary equipment they would be needing to make the new location functional as a base. Their water collecting instruments and things of that nature. It followed immediately behind Grim. Richard and Deckland would come directly behind that keeping the rotation of people pulling the cart running smoothly. With any luck this transition wouldn't see any casualties, but Richard wasn't going to get his hopes up.  
Triston stood on the first hill just outside of the compound when Alex had finally found her way outside. It would be twenty more minutes or so before they were ready to leave. She wanted to take that time to talk to Triston. She hadn't had a chance to say anything to him since the event on the rooftop. She had to be sure that they were ok.  
As she approached Triston didn't bother to turn around. No doubt he already knew that it was her. She wasn't entirely sure how this whole experience would shape their relationship, but she felt closer to him now, more compelled to help him than before. She stopped a few feet behind him and looked out over the rough landscape that they would soon be traversing. Bear had followed her absentmindedly from the compound and was now panting happily a few paces behind her.  
“I know you didn't come out here just to sight see.” Triston said lightly. He paused for a brief moment, hoping to not come across as overly hostile. “What do you want?”  
“I just wanted to talk a bit I guess. Yesterday was...a little intense”  
Triston finally turned to look at her, the stoic mask he usually wore dominating his face. “I guess that's one way of putting it.” He said calmly.  
“Who was that man? I think you called him Aaron?”  
Triston's gaze slowly shifted away from her and grew distant. “There was a time when I would have told you he was my best friend. Then there was another when I considered him my worst enemy. Now he's just another person I'd rather not see again. If I did, I would have a difficult time keeping myself under control.”  
“Ok” Alex accepted his answer despite its inability to satisfy her curiosity.” And the woman that showed up after him?”  
“Her name is Anabell.” Triston took a deep breath as if preparing himself for a difficult decision. “She is probably the only hope that humanity has left in all honesty. One of the few left within the good army that stands by their original purpose, but more importantly, she is the strongest warrior alive.”  
Alex's mouth fell slightly askew as Triston finished. The girl that had gone against the orders of her superiors to help him, was the strongest in the good army. Alex distinctly remembered the look of betrayal on her face as Triston cursed those who had wronged him. The look of terror that replaced it as the black fires consumed him. Alex couldn't help but wonder how she would react if they ran into each other now.  
“So do you think she'll be on our side when those guys come knocking?” Alex asked  
“It's hard to say really. She follows her own agenda. In a sense she is a lot like Richard. She carries out the things that are completely vital for the progress of the whole, while leaving someone else worthy in charge of the major operation. If she believes that I am still of vital importance to the world, yes she will help us, however if she thinks my being alive is more of a hindrance than it's worth, she will kill me. No matter what her superiors say. That's just how Anabell is.”  
“What about her feelings towards humans?” Alex asked tentatively.  
“She protects them, that's her entire purpose, but not by standing guard as you might assume a protector would. She hunts and strikes down those that would cause them harm. Efficient doesn't even begin to describe her abilities. However if someone were to stand in the way of her accomplishing her goal, she would not hesitate to eliminate them. She always used to say 'There is no point trying to save those with a death wish, so you may as well just kill them so that they can't be used against you later.' It was always a little messed up but there was more than one occasion where I had no doubt she was completely correct in her decision.”  
“I guess all we can really do is hope then.” She said, it more as a statement than a question. “Just out of curiosity, if she showed up and decided that some of us needed to go...what would you do?”  
“If you are asking if I would protect you, you needn't worry yourself. I highly doubt you would be her focus anyway. Others here would have a much better chance of drawing her attention as far as humans are concerned. However when the time comes that our paths cross, I'm the one that needs to be concerned, not you.” Triston's words nearly made her cringe.  
The gates of the compound made an earsplitting screeching noise as they were forced open on their rusty tracks. The noise would occasionally stop as the wheels stopped on a gouged section of the track from all of the repairs that had been made over the years. This was actually the first time Alex had seen the gates being opened as far as they could be. She turned back to Triston, her curiosity towards the strange experience of the previous day still not quite sated and now her time was running out.  
“Why is it that during the memory, there were some things that I could hear, and others that I couldn't? The entire first scene was quiet. Then in the second one you had music playing, but I couldn't hear any of it. Emily's words came through perfectly clear though.”  
Triston gave a slight chuckle. “That's a question that I'll have to answer another time. It requires a bit of an explanation that I can't give you just yet. In due time, we can have that conversation if you'd like. Alex simply nodded her head in agreement and gave him a friendly smile. She was just happy he was still willing to talk to her. She figured he would keep being secretive but at least she got a little bit out of him. To her utter surprise, Triston returned her smile. The hardness of his eyes softened, only for a moment, and vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His gaze shifted to the large group that was now forming at the base of the hill that had been their perch before turning to once again face the desolate landscape before them. Without saying another word he vanished.  
Alex glanced quickly around in each direction. His speed was incredible. She barely noticed a fleeting shadow darting between the remains of several dilapidated buildings roughly a mile ahead. Looks like their conversation was over. She turned to look back at the group that was now entirely gathered just a little ways beneath her. Bear lay panting at her feet, his newly regrown fur coupled with the heat from the sun left him in that condition a lot more frequently that before. Everyone seemed to be watching Alex as her eyes scanned the crowd. She hated being the one in charge. Too many people sucked at following orders. She took in a deep breath before pointing off in the direction of the fallen buildings Triston had raced towards.  
“Move out” She called with all the authority her voice could carry. She caught sight of Grim as he walked just a few feet ahead of their makeshift supply cart. Riley practically glued to his hip. Their eyes met and he gave her a ridiculing smile and deliberate chuckle. He knew how much she hated calling the shots, and he was loving every second of her misery. Yet when push came to shove he would have her back in a heartbeat. Real friends like him were hard to come by.  
Progress through the wasteland was slow. The cart was heavy and rotations for the cart pushers had to happen more often than they had anticipated. After nearly two hours the compound could still be seen if you stood on a hilltop. Alex could only assume they had traveled a couple of miles at best. If they couldn't figure out how to pick up the pace there was no way they would make it to Triston's resting point before nightfall. Bears head suddenly focused intently on something far off to the east. His stance nervous, his nose twitching as it searched for any information that his keen eyes couldn't provide. His ears shifted slightly like satellites searching for the optimum signal from some unseen source.  
Suddenly Triston was beside her. Alex jumped at his sudden arrival, one hand clutching her chest as she could only imagine her heart had just skipped several beats.  
“Bear is better than I ever dared to hope” Triston stated calmly, as if Alex should have expected his sudden arrival.  
“What do you mean?” Alex asked as she tried to refocus her attention in the direction bear was so intent on.  
“Two creatures are off to the east. They don't seem to know we are here yet. I came back as soon as I could sense them. It seems like Bear has a similar range of detection. I'm curious as to which of his senses picked them up first.” There was a slight pause as Triston watched the dog's nervous twitching as he tried to identify whatever it was that had caught his attention. “Regardless” He said, finally breaking the silence, “We need to change direction further south. I'd prefer our presence remained unnoticed for at least a little longer.”  
“You and me both” Alex agreed “but if they can't get that cart moving we are going to be sitting ducks out here. I guess Richard overestimated the amount we would be able to take with us.” A shrill whistle came out from the main group below cutting off Alex's summary of their situation. Both Triston and Alex turned to see Richard motioning for Triston to join them.  
“Keep Bear close” Triston stated flatly, “I get the strange feeling that I'm going to be asked to contribute to the cart effort. If so he will be the first to know if something is off. He might not be able to detect raiders as far as he can the beasts, but in truth Raiders don't concern me in the least. If he shows any signs of unease, call to me. I will need to act immediately.” Alex nodded, not entirely sure how she felt about Triston's plan.  
Sure enough almost immediately after Triston reached Richard he took the place of all the men that had been pushing the cart. He didn't allow anyone else to help him, and even encouraged those that were too weary to continue to rest in the cart. He pushed it with relative ease, his steps never faltering and the pace of the caravan seemed to double. Triston pushed the cart himself for nearly four hours after he had been asked to assist them.  
The further they traveled from the compound the more restless Alex became. She was certain they had to be close to Triston's resting point and they had yet to encounter anything on the road. Bear hadn't shown any signs of agitation since Triston had confirmed he was reacting to the presence of the two creatures off in the distance. There was no way they were this lucky. Something was amiss.  
Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion coming from the caravan. Triston stood next to Richard pointing out several locations as their leader barked orders to the men around him. They had noticed something she had missed. Before she had time to move Triston was beside her. “Get into a strong firing position. Raiders are approaching from the south. There are at least ten, maybe more. I have to run ahead. The group that is waiting for us is under attack. They just called to me for help.”  
“An attack on us and them at the same time? That's a bit of a coincidence” Alex said sarcastically.  
“Them still being there means the group intends to join us. Richard wants me to go and assist them since their numbers are so few compared to that of our convoy. You and Grim have to buy the convoy time to escape. Conserve your ammo and avoid killing them if you can, apparently it's harder to recruit dead people. We are less than a mile from the resting point. As soon as they are clear you have to retreat. I will assist you as soon as I am able.”  
“Try not to kill, but don't let them feel safe enough to advance. Easy enough” Alex said with confidence. “Better make sure Grim understands. That guy is lethal. Good luck Triston” Alex said as she dropped to the ground, the butt of her rifle moving easily to the pocket in her shoulder.  
“Don't worry about Grim, Deckland bet him that he couldn't hit all of them in the kneecaps. I've never seen someone look so determined in my life.” Without another word Triston vanished from her side. Bear lay crouched next to Alex an anxious whine escaping him as the tension rose.  
Triston covered the distance to the resting area in seconds. Victoria and her crew were pinned down inside of one of the dilapidated buildings. They were using what remained of the concrete walls for cover, however the raider's bullets were slowly eating away at what little remained.  
“He better be on his way Tori, these walls won't last much longer.” one of the men yelled. “Maybe we should consider falling back before they can surround us” The closest girl interjected. Victoria was waiting patiently for the attack to subside long enough for her to return fire without catching a bullet of her own.  
There was no doubt that they were desperately outnumbered. The eight of them had scattered themselves throughout what remained of the building in hopes of thinning out the incoming fire by giving the enemy multiple targets. Despite their strategy the bullets never seemed to cease flying in their direction which left two possibilities, they were outgunned two to one, or the raiders simply had a ridiculous amount of ammo and weren't concerned with conserving what they had. Neither scenario was ideal.  
Tori jumped as the empty space next to her, suddenly wasn't empty anymore. Triston appeared as if out of thin air. He didn't crouch behind the crumbling walls like the rest of them, instead he left himself exposed, drawing the fire of the enemy combatants. Victoria's eyes grew wide as she watched holes appear in his flesh, only to disappear an instant later. Only his clothing showed any signs that he was being hit at all as the fabric bounced with each impact. In a matter of seconds his shirt was barely whole enough to cling together. He remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity, but couldn't truly have been more than a few minutes. Victoria couldn't help but wonder what exactly he was doing wasting time like that.  
Victoria glanced over at her team. They had begun returning fire in regular intervals. Triston had apparently caused enough of a distraction for them to rally. She brought her attention back to Triston, “so are you just going to keep standing there while they strip you, or are you going to do something productive?” She yelled over the gunfire. Triston gave a slight smile before stepping to the wall and casually leaping over it. Tori risked a quick glance over her concrete barrier. She exhaled, calming her nerves as she slowly rose to her feet. The incoming hail of bullets had seemed to stop almost all at once. Victoria shook her head in wonder, what else could Triston be capable of?  
Something off to the East caught Tori's attention in the dwindling light. A large group of people was moving in their direction. A better look at the situation made it clear that they weren't just heading this way, they were running from something. The group was massive, easily over two hundred people. The river of people was stretched thin as the stronger and younger members broke away from the rest of the mob running for the protection of the building they were occupying. Off somewhere in the distance gunshots could be heard. It didn't take long for Tori to realize that Triston's convoy had come under fire as well. It may have even been a coordinated attack. If both attacks had been from the same group, then once again Tori and her crew owed Triston their lives. There is no way they could have fought off all of them by themselves. The second group had probably been sent to circle around and hit them from behind, but instead ran into a heavily armed convoy.  
Tori turned back to her team who had all realized by now that the firefight was over.  
“Triston's convoy is coming in from the east. They seem to be taking fire from somewhere. Let’s give 'em a hand.” She called out with authority.  
The entire team moved instantaneously to the East wall and took up firing positions. Tori scanned the horizon but couldn't figure out where the attack was coming from.  
“It's no use” Triston declared, loud enough for all of them to hear. He once again stood next to Tori, his approach completely undetected by any of them.  
“Two snipers are keeping the raiders off the main party. They're more than a mile away, none of your weapons can reach them. You'd be better off securing your weapons. Some of the people in the convoy may mistake you for more raiders if you have guns trained in their direction.”  
Victoria's crew looked to her for instructions, taking Triston's words as more of a suggestion than anything. She simply nodded her approval before turning her attention to Triston.  
“You aren't going to rush off and help your people?” she asked incredulously.  
“They are capable of handling themselves for a few minutes.” was his blunt reply. “Besides I have been instructed to ensure your safety due to your group’s smaller numbers before I return to assist my own.”  
“Well you seem to have taken care of everything here so how about you get back to being superman and go take care of the rest.” she said bitterly.  
Triston noted the hostility in her voice before turning to leave. She had decided to join him, but she still felt betrayed. They very well may have stayed solely because they were desperate. It was a matter to be discussed at a later time.  
Triston had all of the raiders bound and gagged sitting in the center of the dilapidated building before the final members of the convoy had even reached the slight shelter provided by its crumbling walls. Richard approached the group as soon as he arrived. Triston took up a position by his side while Richard made his own assessment.  
“I didn't even know that groups of raiders could get his big” he finally concluded.  
“There are thirty-six in total.” Triston confirmed. “I've only ever seen two groups this big before. Most raider encampments don't send all of their people though. Some do, but it's rare. There is a good chance this isn't everyone.”  
Footsteps behind the two men broke off their short conversation. They turned to see Victoria and all of her companions approaching. The people of the convoy made sure to stay clear of their path. Deckland stepped out from the crowd to cut them off before they could reach Richard and Triston, his weapon leveled at Victoria's chest.  
“That's far enough” he said firmly.  
“Is this how you treat those that come to join you?” Victoria called out for everyone to hear. “I was given the impression that you wanted our cooperation.”  
“Deckland stand down” Richard ordered.  
“Not until they drop their weapons sir” Deckland called over his shoulder, his eyes never moving from the unfamiliar party. “Triston might know them, but we don't know their intentions.”  
Victoria rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed with the situation. “Yes, we are going to walk into the center of a group fifty times larger than our own, with far more weapons, and open fire. That has to be the greatest plan I've ever heard of. There is no possible way we could lose that one.”  
Deckland didn't budge. He simply continued to stare down the group. Richard remained quiet. Deckland may be an asshole, but his job was to be a bodyguard. He couldn't possibly reprimand him for that.  
“Let me make the situation clear to you, you can drop your weapons and we can continue this little introduction, or you can leave. Triston saving you was enough lenience on our part. You are the ones lacking a gesture of good faith.” Deckland gave a menacing smile as his explanation came forth. It was hard to argue against it.  
“I will lay down my arms.” Victoria replied calmly, “but my crew will remained armed. They can stay right here to keep this little princess happy, but that's the best you are going to get. If you expect us to disarm entirely you are insane. Especially considering the size of attack that took place just a few minutes ago.” Deckland shifted his head slightly as he considered the offer.  
“Fine, but you are getting a pat down just to be sure.” He said after a few seconds. Victoria scowled at the idea but didn't object. He would simply use the same argument again if she objected. She handed her rifle off to one of the group behind her. She removed the holster around her waist containing her .45, then the one hidden in the small of her back with her 9mm. She lifted her right pant leg and reached down to unstrap an ankle holster with a snub nosed revolver attached along with a combat knife. She stared Deckland in the eyes as she casually unzipped her pants and shimmied them down just far enough to reveal her pink lacy underwear and allow her to remove yet another combat knife from her inner thigh. This one didn't have a handle but rather a few strips of leather wound around the metal. Leaving a full handle would have made it impossible to conceal the blade where she had.  
She stepped forward as she pulled her pants back up and re-secured them. She approached Deckland with her hands raised, never breaking eye contact. She reached Deckland and turned around giving him her back. Deckland handed off his weapon to one of the men next to him and instructed him to keep it pointed at her friends. The man complied hesitantly. Deckland stepped forward and leaned in to put his mouth by Victoria's ear.  
“That's a good girl” Deckland whispered.  
Victoria's jerked her head to the side a look of disgust dominating her features. Deckland let out a guffaw as he started the pat down. Victoria didn't even flinch as his hands groped her. She knew he was going to be “thorough”. He made sure to pass his hand underneath each breast, as well as between them. Triston knew what was coming. Anyone that knew Victoria and what she had been through knew what was coming. Triston considered stopping it for a moment, but this would give him a chance to assess how well Victoria had maintained her skills. He would also get to see if Deckland was actually capable of backing up the words that came pouring from his mouth all too often. It wouldn't be a fair fight. Deckland had eighty pounds on her.  
The second Deckland knelt down to check her legs, Victoria's elbow jerked backward, connecting with his face. Deckland fell backwards and rolled until his feet were once again beneath him. He had seemed to have been expecting an attack as well. Even so, she was on him before he had time to fully recover from the first hit. Deckland raised his arm to protect his face but not quickly enough. Victoria's knee smashed into him with the full weight of her body behind it. Deckland fell on his back, unable to turn his momentum into a backward roll a second time.  
Victoria stood over Deckland, basking in her victory. She was careful to stay out of reach in the event he was coherent enough to keep fighting. Deckland sat up with a smile on his face, blood flowing unchecked from his nose, which was obviously broken.  
“And here I thought it was going to be a boring day” He spat. As he rose to his feet. Victoria stared at him in utter disbelief. That kind of attack had left people unconscious on several different occasions. He was acting as if she had simply slapped him across the face. Victoria prepared to defend herself still unsure of how Deckland was on his feet.  
Deckland rushed her like an angry bull. He threw a fist forward, aiming at her face but was far too slow. Victoria ducked the blow, preparing to dig her elbow into his diaphragm. Deckland, instead of following through with his attack, pulled back his arm and lowered his shoulder. Victoria's elbow was knocked easily aside by the movement as Deckland hit her like a linebacker. Victoria had never hit the ground so hard in her life. She struggled to her feet attempting to convince her lungs to relax enough for her to take a breath. She finally took her first agonized breath only to have Deckland sweep her feet from underneath her, dropping her to the ground and expelling the breath from her lungs once again. This time she controlled her impact, striking the ground as she made contact to lessen to blow to her body.  
Victoria rolled to the side and moved into a crouch. Once again Deckland was attacking before she had fully recovered. Deckland aimed a kick at Victoria's head, intending to end the fight. Victoria lunged towards him and caught his leg between her arm and her body. She shoved his opposite shoulder with her other hand while at the same time kicking his planted leg out from under him. Triston smiled, recognizing the move he had taught her. Deckland went down hard and fast, his head snapping back and connecting with the ground loud enough to make those closest to the combat cringe. He immediately rolled into the fetal position to protect his injured head.  
Victoria took a deep breath and moved one hand to her bruised and aching ribs. She wasn't delusional, she had gotten lucky. Had he not thrown a kick in that last attack she wouldn't have been able to counter it the way she had. The fact that she had already hit him full force in the face twice before that and he was still easily able to continue fighting made her shudder at the thought of a fair fight with him. Next time, she may not end up on top.  
Victoria took another deep breath to regain her composure. She stood tall with her head held high as she began moving once again towards Richard. Her crew as promised remained where they were. Several in the crowd gasped and Victoria's eyes grew wide as she realized too late she had turned her back on her opponent too soon. A light breeze rustled her hair as she braced for the impact that was surely coming. Several seconds went by before Victoria relaxed her shoulders and looked behind her to see what had happened.   
Triston stood between the two combatants, Deckland’s closed fist held securely in his hand. 

“The fight is over. You’ve made your point.” Triston stated calmly.

“You have no right to interfere with this, Freak.” Deckland said through clenched teeth.

“These individuals are my guests. I have every right to protect them from unnecessary harm.”

“Unnecessary? She agreed to be searched, then she attacked me. She can’t agree and then just take it back because she’s friends with you. You don’t get to grant people immunity to our procedures.”

“TRISTON” Richard yelled with a commanding tone. “STAND DOWN NOW!”

Triston looked back to Richard, his eyes narrowing as his promise to follow orders replayed in his mind. There was a good chance this was a test, Triston seriously considered disobeying. The seconds ticked by and the crowd around the spectacle had gone deathly silent. Triston reluctantly released Deckland’s hand, his eyes never breaking contact with Richard’s.   
Deckland stepped past him without a second glance. Victoria reluctantly held her hands up in surrender. Starting the fight up again would be pointless, if Triston hadn’t stepped in it would have been over by now anyway. She’d lost.   
Deckland was a lot more rough the second go around. He didn’t just pat her down, he humiliated her. He cupped both of her breasts from behind, squeezing and fondling them. He glanced to Triston as he smelled her neck and saw his eyes flash violet. Victoria stared straight ahead, unwilling to show any weakness.  
Deckland moved one hand between her legs and moved slowly upward before gripping her crotch. He raised his fingers to his nose and took an exaggerated inhale. 

“Almost seems like I excite you” he whispered into her ear. 

Victoria’s men shifted uncomfortably where they stood, they wanted to act, but they knew the odds were against them. Their leader continued to stare into the distance, unphased by what was happening to her body. She shifted her gaze to Triston ever so slightly.

“I hope you can cure STD’s. I think I may have just contracted some.” She said.

Deckland finished his search before grabbing her by the elbow.

“Now Triston be a good dog and keep an eye on her friends there while her and our fearless leader have a little chat.”

Deckland led Victoria to Richard, smirking all the while. Richard turned on his heel as they approached. The three of them departed to an isolated area. Riley slowly made her way through the crowd and took Trison’s hand. Triston had to consciously keep himself from clenching his fist and hurting the young girl. He walked tentatively towards the newcomers, Riley falling in stride beside him as a dull murmur of conversations broke out amongst the people. 

“I apologize for Deckland’s behavior. I swear I won’t allow something like this to happen ever again.” He stated as he neared them. 

“Whatever” one of the females said, obviously upset with the way things had played out. 

Triston took turns checking each of the seven individuals for injury, the female that had spoken out however refused to let him touch her. All around them people had set about making camp for the night. As most of the compounds residents had been nomads, it didn’t take long for them to get things ready.   
Nearly an hour later Richard returned with Victoria, Deckland was nowhere to be seen. Triston had stayed near the newcomers, but set about making sure Riley would be comfortable for the night. He made sure she had a comfortable sleeping bag before they set out as well as a pillow. Pillows were hard to come by anymore but no one seemed to be willing to try taking things Triston had staked a claim on. Afterwards he set about healing anyone willing to let him.   
Richard and Victoria seemed to be on pleasant enough terms as they approached. Triston immediately rose and waited for them to draw near. A line had formed of people waiting for him to work his magic. They all paused as the two came to a halt before him. Triston automatically reached out and touched Victoria, her fight with Deckland had surely taken a bit of a toll on her. She immediately brought her hand up to stop him. 

“I earned these bruises, I’ll let them heal on their own.” 

Triston let his hand fall to his side. Riley jumped up from where she had been resting in her sleeping bag and hugged Tori.

“Hey small fry you look well!” Tori exclaimed. 

“Triston took good care of me. I missed you so much, where’s Zach?” 

A grimace of pain overtook Victoria’s face and she hugged Riley a little tighter. 

“It’s just me now kiddo.” She said quietly back.

Triston couldn’t see her face, but the way Riley tensed he could tell she understood the meaning behind the words. 

“Triston we need to see to the men you captured.” Richard said calmly before turning to leave. 

Triston fell in step beside him as the crowd that had been waiting slowly began to disperse with a small amount of grumbling. Most of those in line to see him were elderly and the relief he offered was likely the only way they would manage to make the rest of the journey. Triston made a mental note to go around after he was finished and help those he hadn’t made it to yet.   
Richard didn’t say a word as they walked. The raiders were guarded a short walk away from the rest of the encampment by a couple dozen armed guards. Richard approached the nearest one removed his gag. Triston had been very thorough with his precautions. Their hands and feet were tied and an additional rope had been tied around their arms and torsos to ensure they couldn’t move enough to wiggle free. 

“Just fuckin kill us already!” the man yelled as soon as the gag was removed. “All we had was what we had on us.”

“Now what good would killing you do us?” Richard asked. “Your attack was pretty well coordinated. I have to say I’m impressed. If it wasn’t for Triston here, I think you would have done quite a number on us.” 

The man refused to answer, instead he spat in the dirt at Richard’s feet. 

“Believe it or not, I’m here to offer you all a deal. You’ve seen what my man here can do, and I’m sure you can already guess he isn’t normal. I’m offering you his protection.”

The man looked at Richard suspiciously before glancing at Triston. Triston hadn’t moved or spoken a word since they approached. 

“I’m not the one that can make that decision he said finally. I’m nobody. You’d have to talk to Ryan. He’s the dark fella over there.” He said motioning to his left with his head. “No matter what he says though, I’m interested in what you have to say, so don’t get too trigger happy if he turns you down.”

“Thanks” Richard said with a smile before replacing the gag. 

Triston made his way through the crowd of prisoners to the man he had indicated. He hoisted him up with almost zero effort by the ropes that bound him and carried him to Richard, dropping him roughly at his feet. The man struggled to get to his knees for a few seconds before Triston reached down and sat him up. Richard once again removed the gag gently before staring intently at the man without saying a word. 

“Any reason you haven’t killed us yet?” The man asked calmly.

“I’m willing to offer you and your men a deal. All of them, even the ones that aren’t here at the moment.”

“What kind of deal?” he asked looking Triston up and down from the corner of his eye. 

“I’m willing to offer you protection. I’m sure you all have come across the new monsters running around all over the place. They have the tendency to rip people apart anytime they cross paths.”

“How the hell can you offer protection from those things?”

“You saw my friend here in action. His name is Triston. He used to fight those things for a living. He offered me and my colleagues his assistance. I’m offering you the chance to join us. More people, more guns, and a guy that is impervious to bullets.”

“And if I refuse?”

“You die.” Richard said with finality. “You see those monsters eat people and get stronger. One way or another we are taking your guns, how long did you think you will last when they come prowling and you have nothing to defend yourselves with?”

The man clenched his teeth.

“We can’t just let them go.” Triston finally spoke. “As much fun as it is to see them tear into someone, I’d rather not offer them up a free meal. Like you said they get stronger. I say we just kill them and move on.”

The man gawked at Triston trying to figure out if he was bluffing. 

“He isn’t invincible” the man spat motioning to Triston. “All I saw was a guy with body armor.”

Triston looked down at his bare chest. Turning slightly to check his back as well. He glanced over to Richard and shrugged feigning bewilderment. He then walked over to the pile of supplies they had taken from the captives. He pulled a handgun from the top and check the magazine to make sure it was loaded. I chambered a round and immediately shot the captive in the right arm. The man screamed and fell backwards. Triston returned to Richard’s side and lifted the captive back to his knees. 

“Just had to make sure you knew it was working” he stated calmly as the man swore incoherently between clenched teeth. 

Triston proceeded to place the barrel of the gun in his mouth. Every eye around was on him. The gunshot rang out and he didn’t even bat an eyelash. Triston splat the bullet into his hand. It was flattened, almost as if it had been fired at a steel wall. He dropped the bullet in front of the man to be sure he could get a good look at it. All eyes remained locked on him, even those of the guards.   
Richard returned his focus to the man before them. Studying him intently with his one good eye. 

“That’s not the only trick he has up his sleeve either. This man can heal all of your injuries in an instant. That new gunshot in your arm, sickness, disease, things that happened as far back as you can remember. He can fix them all. This protection I’m offering you does come with a price. You submit to me. I call the shots. You join us, and we all work to stay alive together.”

“If he can fix anything, then why is your face still so fucked up?” The man asked seriously. 

“I don’t want my scars to go away. Call it sentimental value.” 

Every one of the raiders agreed to follow Richard after Triston’s little demonstration. They weren’t sure if they did so out of fear, or because they truly believed this gave them a better chance to survive. They went to each man one at a time, as they accepted Richard’s terms, Triston healed them.   
After it was finished Triston and Richard stood before the new recruits looking out at the lot of them. Their restraints had yet to be removed. Richard nodded once and walked away. Triston stood before them alone. 

“I will give you all one warning. If you turn on us, I will personally strip the skin from you flesh, then heal you just so I can do it all over again. I don’t sleep, I can’t be bought, and I don’t give second chances.” He nodded to the guard nearest him, then turned to follow Richard. 

He caught up easily and placed a hand on his shoulder. Richard stopped but didn’t turn around. 

“Why did you allow Deckland to treat her that way?”

Richard gave a small sigh before he answered.

“My position can’t be questioned. Not by you, not by her, not by anyone. Making you stand down showed the people we were already traveling with that I’m still in charge. Deckland following old protocols ensured they know the rules haven’t changed. It also showed anyone present that even without you, I have capable men under me. Victoria is good, but Deckland still would have won. It’s a brutal game that I don’t enjoy, but I understand it’s necessary in order to ensure our survival. These people need to understand that there is only one voice leading them, one man that makes the rules, otherwise keeping order would be impossible. I respect you and your values Triston, but there is a way things need to be done. You said you would follow orders. I need you to do that without question, anything else can bring it all crashing down around us.”

Triston remained silent. Richards reasoning made sense, but it reminded him all too well of someone else he wanted nothing more than to forget. He hated unnecessary cruelty, but as long as Richard didn’t let things get too far, he wouldn’t interfere.

“I was planning on doing rounds and healing anyone that needs it.”

“That can wait.”

“They may not make it tomorrow if I don’t” he protested. 

“I guess that will just have to be your motivation to move quickly then. You need to find us a new sanctuary. We can’t be out here traveling blindly. That would be even worse for the people than you missing your rounds tonight. Find us a place before morning. When you return you can make your rounds. I have a busy night ahead of me with all the new recruits. I won’t be all that sharp tomorrow so I need you to make things as easy as possible. Big picture first, then we work out the details.”

Triston didn’t hesitate, he was gone the moment Richard finished speaking. He moved faster than he had in years, allowing small amounts of his power to trickle forth and fuel his unbelievable speed.   
Richard sighed as Triston departed. He had hoped this entire encounter would go a little better. Triston wasn’t as ready to follow orders as he had hoped. It did seem however that he was beginning to see that Richard made every move for a reason. He needed to be ruthless. He wound his way through the members of the compound until he found Victoria and her group. 

“You all are going to get your first chance to prove yourselves tonight. Believe it or not you aren’t the low men on the totem pole. Every single raider that attacked earlier has been captured thanks to Triston and you all. After a brief display from Triston and myself they all agreed to join our fold. Being as that they just tried to kill us I’m not overly eager to let them jump right in and be neighbors. The captives are your responsibility for now. The eight of you shouldn’t have any trouble with thirty-six of them. They all agreed to join us after all. Their hands stay tied. They aren’t allowed to leave. Those are the only things I care about at the moment.”

“And how long are we going to be on babysitting duty?” Victoria asked

“Until we arrive at the new location.”

“Oh you mean the location we don’t even know exists” she said sarcastically. 

Richard eyed her coldly. Victoria had agreed to fall in line behind him with the promise that she would be made a member of his inner circle. She was very well trained and had information vital to their success in what was to come. Richard had played nice for the most part. He wouldn’t continue to do so if she stepped out of line. 

“Triston is scouting ahead as we speak. He will be back by morning with our destination. You have all seen him move. We have no reason to believe that he won’t be successful. Either way, we can’t stay here, so until we arrive they are yours. If you need relief you are welcome to switch out with some of our guards as long as you don’t leave them stranded doing your work for you.”

“We pull our own weight.” Victoria snapped

At that Richard turned on his heel and left. He would have to stop in and see how they handled things throughout the night. Victoria was no doubt a capable leader and an invaluable asset, but her initial encounter with Richard and Deckland seemed to have left a bitter taste in her mouth. He was curious to see how they would handle the captives being as that they weren’t exactly prisoners any longer. Granted they had all almost been killed by these same individuals only a few hours before. Richard sighed once more before seeking out Grim an Alex. With Triston gone they would have to pull shifts as over watch. This entire trip was going to be harder than he had thought possible. 

 

Triston stood before the lone standing building he had found while searching the locations Richard had circled on his map. He had only needed to glance at it earlier in the day. The structure was massive, easily twenty stories tall. Its foundation seemed sound and Triston could hear the sounds of occupants sleeping. They weren’t the first to come looking for shelter here. By the sound of it, their numbers weren’t all that great.   
The glass double doors that marked the entrance to the structure revealed little as to its contents. The entire ground floor was flooded in darkness. One window further up betrayed the slight glow of what Triston could hear was a fire. Counting the windows revealed it to be the third floor. Whatever group had encamped here, didn’t seem all that concerned with security.   
As Triston cautiously approached his heightened vision revealed a small string, likely fishing line, attached to the door on the inside. It trailed off into the dark to another dark shape that Triston was unable to entirely make out. They had booby-trapped the entrance. As he inspected closer, he noticed that both doors had them.   
Triston didn’t have the time to play with their trap. He back stepped and jumped, aiming for the third story window directly overhead. Luckily it was already broken so he remained undiscovered. He navigated the large building until he knew the exact location of the people. Luckily barricading them in would be simple. They had only taken over two rooms on the fifth floor.  
He slammed the two doors that led to their makeshift quarters almost simultaneously. He threw anything and everything he could find in front of the doors. Desks, tables, filing cabinets, enough to ensure they wouldn’t have a chance at opening them again. He could hear them pounding on the doors once he was finished. They would have to wait for their formal introduction. He shouted a word of warning over their constant knocks against the door.

“A large group of people is heading to this location. They will be here late tomorrow. If you don’t resist. No harm will come to anyone in there. Just stay put until they arrive.”

Triston took a moment to check the remainder of the building before heading back to the ground floor. The trap they had set up was simple, yet effective. Two fishing lines were attached to the door, then strung though a series of hooks to rest on the triggers of two side by side shotguns. The lines were taut enough to pull the triggers as soon as the door was opened halfway. Barely wide enough to allow a person through. Triston disable them and took the shotguns with him.   
As he stepped out the door Triston had the feeling that he was being watched. He glanced back into the building before scanning what he could see from the entryway. An uneasy feeling crept into the pit of his stomach as he waited. He had no doubt there was someone there, but they were hiding in ways he couldn’t detect. He opened the doors and vanished. There were still people depending on him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 

            Triston made it back to the compound without incident. He had no evidence to go with his feeling of unease when he left their destination after scouting it so he neglected to bring it up. Richard was relieved however that Triston had finally located a new home for them. He had even made it back early enough for Grim to abandon his watch and get some sleep. After he made his rounds to all those he had yet to see before Richard sent him out.

When all of their business had been attended to Triston lay down next to Riley, shifting her so she lay in his lap, his arm wrapped protectively over her as she slept. This was not the life he had envisioned after they reached the compound. He had hoped for a safe place where he could continue hiding, and Riley could play and run and enjoy the childhood that she had thus far been denied. This seemed to be the pattern of his existence. Try for one thing, then simply roll with the punches.

As he sat there he listened. Noting anything and everything that seemed out of the ordinary. He could hear Richard making his rounds, speaking with guards and ensuring that tomorrow things would run smoothly as they packed up and left. He was in the process of informing all of the elderly and young that they would be riding in the cart with all of the supplies when Victoria sat down next to him.

His attentions had been so divided that he nearly missed her approach. His primary focus was obviously on things outside of the encampment, but he couldn’t help but eaves drop on its inner workings as well. Victoria nudged him with her elbow as she sat down.

“Kinda neglecting your guard duties aren’t you?” she asked jokingly

“I’m doing exactly the same thing I would be if I were sitting up on their post. My vision is good, but at night I’m still limited. Listening is my most effective tool.”

“It was a joke Triston. You know, that thing we used to do back when we enjoyed each other’s company?”

“I still enjoy your company.” He said flatly.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” She said with a smile

“Things are…more complicated now.” Triston explained. “I have more to worry about. I’ve had this super soldier role dumped in my lap. I’m happy to finally be doing something…but I’m afraid of what it might cost.” Triston absentmindedly started playing with Riley’s hair. “I left an army of people like me, they were hunting me down until the day they thought I died. It’s only a matter of time until they find me. To be honest I’m not the only one that should be afraid of what will happen when they do.”

His eyes had fallen to Riley and the concern he felt was plain on his face. Victoria grabbed his hand and squeezed it in silent support.

“We’ve had our differences Triston, I won’t deny that I felt abandoned when you left. All of us did, but if the ones chasing you are as bad as you say I can’t hold it against you. You were protecting us. I couldn’t see it then, and I still may not fully understand it, but I believe you were doing what you thought was best. I mean look at Riley. I’ve never seen a child that still acted so alive. She acts like she doesn’t have a care in the world compared to most children. That’s because of you.”

A long silence stretched out between them, broken only by the light sound of Riley breathing.

“What happens when I’m not strong enough?” Triston asked. More to himself than to Victoria. “I’m broken. I can’t use my full power. They won’t hesitate or hold back when they find me.”

“That may be true, but you’ll have everyone here at your side. You won’t have to face them alone.”

Her words only brought Triston a small amount of comfort. After all nothing these people could do would hinder their efforts. They were only human after all.

“I have an idea” Triston said after another pause. “It’s entirely experimental and I have no idea if it will work.”

“If you are planning on being a martyr, let me just stop you now. We need you too much for you to do something that reckless.”

Triston smiled at the thought. He would no doubt welcome death whenever it came for him.

“As logical as that sounds, that’s not where I was headed. Give me your gun.” He said as he held out his hand expectantly.

Victoria pulled her pistol from its holster on her leg and handed it to him, not bothering to clear it first.

Triston pulled out the magazine and cleared the chamber. He reloaded the ejected round before concentrating his power on the little metal projectiles. Victoria would have thought she was seeing things if she didn’t know who Triston was. A small spark seemed to jump up the length of the magazine until it reached the final round. The rounds seemed to shine with an unusual blue aura.

Triston reloaded the weapon and racked the slide before handing it back to Victoria.

“Back when I was linked to the source of my power, before I left the army, I could do something like this and not have to bat an eyelash. Now it drains me considerably. I’ve stored some of my power in the rounds. When you fire them, it should draw on that power and give them an added kick against the beasties. No guarantee it will work, and sadly I’ll have to continue to let my power channel into them so this is all you get. Doing more would require more than I can spare at the moment. Be careful using them. It will not only drain me, but it will be just like if I had used my power on my own.”

“So they are pretty much a homing beacon for anyone looking for you” Victoria concluded.

“Exactly. It’s dormant for now so it shouldn’t draw any attention, but if it contacts a monster, it should activate. Like I said no guarantees. Only use them if you have to.”

Victoria nodded her understanding. She holstered the weapon carefully, like handling a live explosive.

“Would it work if I shot you? Like if you were acting stupid so I pumped a round into you. You know, a wakeup call.”

Triston smiled, “I’m not sure. Probably. I’d rather not find out though” he said with a little chuckle.

“Noted.” She said with a sly smile. “So what’s up with that Deckland guy? Is he always such an asshole?”

“Pretty much. He’s Richard’s personal bodyguard. I think he’s a little upset that I’m stealing some of his thunder.”

“He’s a tough son of a bitch I’ll give him that. Would have knocked the daylights out of me if you hadn’t stepped in when you did.”

“Yeah he isn’t above pulling a cheap shot when it’s needed. I actually got reprimanded for stepping in though. Richard wants things functioning the same way they did before all this shit happened. I challenged his authority when I interfered with procedure.”

“Yeah he explained that to me when we went on our little walk. He ripped Deckland a new one too though. He ran off with his tail between his legs when it was all said and done.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t let you kick him in the nuts first after what he did. Richard is big on justice.”

“That might have ruined the whole bravado. It’s not like he’s the first asshole that’s copped a feel. I wasn’t about to turn away this gig though. Too much at stake.”

Triston remained silent. He hated what the world had become. Things like that were commonplace. Most women were treated horribly. You either became the boss, or you serviced him. However he wanted. The people in the compound owed a lot to Richard. He didn’t let that fly. It was the closest to domestic justice you were going to get.

Victoria slowly rose to her feet, groaning slightly as her sore body protested.

“The offer to fix all that still stands. We will need you to at the top of your game.”

“I already told you, I earned these. I threw the first punch. If I hadn’t been trying to set an example and just stayed humble it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. I won’t ever learn my lesson if I can just run to you to make things all better.”

Triston couldn’t help but smile as she walked away. They were back to normal after all. She was holding things together rather well considering she had just lost her partner. He hoped it wasn’t just a mask.

Triston continued listening to their surroundings when he sensed another presence. Someone was watching him. He looked up to see Alex sitting on a collapsed staircase. She was watching him closely. As soon as she realized he had noticed her she jumped and turned her attentions elsewhere. Her cheeks flushing pink.

Triston slowly maneuvered his way out from under Riley and made his way towards her. She sat up straighter as he approached.

“I thought you were supposed to be sleeping.” He said quietly.

“Sleep doesn’t like me much right now.” Was her short reply.

“So you choose me to be your entertainment? Hate to say it but I’m kind of boring when I’m not in action.”

“No.” She said, obviously embarrassed. “I was watching how you are with Riley. Is this how things were with Emma?”

Triston tensed at the sound of her name. It took him a while to decide if this was something he wanted to talk about. Alex began to play with a hole in the knee of her pants, nervous she had gone too far.

“Not really.” He finally responded. “Losing Emma made me more protective. I didn’t have to stand guard over her. We shared a room. I would occasionally watch her sleep, but not because I feared for her. It was more like I was concerned about what my mom and I could provide for her. If that makes sense.”

“What happened to your dad?”

“My real dad was a dead beat. He would send me a birthday card with five dollars once a year, and half the time it wasn’t anywhere near my birthday. Emma was actually only my half-sister. Her dad was amazing. He was a soldier. One day he left on orders, and never made it home. My mom was crushed.”

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard on you too.”

“It was, but I had already adapted to being the only guy in the house once before so I think I got over it a little faster than she did. Emma was too young to remember.”

“So in the beginning of everything, you were human right? I mean it all seems that way.”

“Yes. At one point I was human. Eventually I was offered the chance to become more, and I took it.”

“Why?”

“Once your eyes are opened to certain things, it’s impossible to ignore them. I learned of the monsters and the war against them. I couldn’t ignore it. Too many people needed protection.”

“In your story you told Riley, about thunderstorms. She said you told her the bad guys were led by a vampire. That’s not exactly true is it?” She asked tentatively.

“Are you afraid of vampires?” Triston asked with a smirk?

“Well if they are like the ones on TV then yes.”

“He is a monster like all the rest. That’s how he started anyway. I told you about the second class I encountered. Well this monster would be classified as a fifth class. It’s the strongest we have ever seen. As the monsters get stronger, their form changes. They stop relying on a shape that focuses on brute strength. Third classes are the first that show this kind of intelligence.

The fifth class, his name is Alastor, and you might mistake him for a human. His eyes are pretty much all that would give him away. The Iris is blood red. That’s what made me use a vampire in my story. “

“When did they start having names?”

“Class three is when they begin to communicate as we do. I’m not sure how they determine their names, but I’ve met several class fours that had them. I can only assume that a class three knows theirs. I never really made a point of conversing with them to find out though. Class fours are strong enough to give even the most seasoned among us trouble. So they typically get several words in before they can be dispatched.”

“Did you ever see Alastor? Like in person?”

“Yes, but only once. He nearly killed me.”

Alex was silent for a while before continuing.

“Why haven’t we seen any of these stronger ones? You’d think they would be the first to jump into our world and wreak havoc.”

“I can only assume that the good army is holding them at bay. It would make sense to let the smaller ones get through if they could stop the bigger threats. The only other possibility I can think of is that the hole in the barrier is too small for creatures with that much power.”

“Hole in the barrier?” she said quizzically.

“Another time.” Triston said as he looked up to the sky. It had turned a deep shade of violet. The sun would be up soon.

Alex stood and stretched.

“Thank you for talking to me.”

“I like having someone to talk to.” Triston admitted.

Minutes later Richard was walking through the rows of sleeping people yelling for everyone to wake up. The entire camp was packed and ready to go within minutes. When you traveled light things moved a lot faster. Richards planning the day before played a big part in that no doubt.

Triston was to push the cart again today. This time however he would be the only one pushing the cart. Richard wanted them to move quickly. They had twenty-five miles to travel. With all of the weaker residents riding in the cart, they should be able to make the trip in a single day. It would be risky however.

Moving that fast meant that they weren’t going to be able to keep watch as well as they did the day before. If they were ambushed, it might be too late by the time they realized it. Speed however was their highest priority. Staying another night out in the open was pushing their luck further than Richard felt comfortable with.

Victoria and her men would keep the captives near the middle of the heard where they would have the hardest time escaping. Triston would take lead with the cart while Alex scouted ahead with Bear. Grim stayed with Riley, a request that Triston made personally, directly behind the cart. Triston was slightly worried about Grim’s ability to keep up due to his size, but Grim assured him he would do whatever needed to be done.

The sun still hadn’t fully risen by the time the caravan had begun moving. Triston immediately felt the strain on his power after charging the rounds in Victoria’s gun. He was allowing power to trickle into his legs as he pushed the cart and the small amount he was using felt like a much greater burden to control than before. He needed to be careful.

The caravan only stopped twice, and thanks to Triston bearing the cart on his own, they were able to maintain a grueling pace. The first stop was for lunch. Everyone relished the short break, even though Richard kept it to under a half hour.

The second time, Triston had stopped the caravan himself. Signaling to Richard that something was wrong. The guards mobilized much slower than expected. Triston ran ahead and discovered a pair of monsters traveling in a strait shot towards the convoy. He had sensed them before Bear which was really surprising.

Triston first attempted to lure them away, but as he did so, one broke off and continued racing towards its perceived meal. The second stayed with him. Triston had no choice but to face it. As he squared off with the creature, gunshots could be heard from the direction of the group. Triston easily outmaneuvered the beast and punished it with a vicious kick to the head, the bones of its skull crumbling with the force of the blow. He waited a few seconds to be sure it stayed down before racing off towards the second beast.

As he approached he realized the creature was moving unbelievably slow. The bullets tearing into its flesh were taking a drastic toll. It wasn’t enough to stop it completely though. It was nearing the convoy. Triston risked a glance ahead and noticed that only Grim and Victoria’s crew were engaging the monster. The other guards were waiting with their weapons ready. Richard stood near them, Riley clutching his side. Grim had traded out his big gun for a smaller one.

Triston raced forward and dove into the creature, tackling it to the ground. The gunfire ceased as he did so and everyone looked on in wonder. The creature swiped at Triston and he easily danced away from it. He placed himself between it and convoy. The monster swiped at him again. Triston caught its clawed hand and placed a crushing blow on its elbow. The monster cried out in pain with its ear splitting roar. Triston ducked under its head and placed an uppercut into its jaw. The creatures head snapped back with the satisfying sound of bones snapping.

It fell lifeless to the ground next to him, and Triston stomped on its head for good measure. He wasn’t taking any chances this close to the convoy. Once the beasts had their scent they wouldn’t stop coming. He walked slowly back to the caravan to thunderous applause. The captives all looked on in wonder as Triston passed them. They had been impressed when he spat the bullet out of his mouth, but this was unbelievable.

“Sorry about the lack of support.” Grim said as he passed, “Richard wanted to conserve ammo. He ordered us to aim for the legs to slow it down. Everyone else would have started shooting if it got much closer.”

“It was an unnecessary gamble.” Triston snapped.

He made his way to the cart and immediately started pushing again. He understood that Richard was trying to think big picture, but if Triston hadn’t been fast enough things could have gone very differently. They were relying on him entirely too much.

 He let his frustration out with the exercise. Had he still been capable of it, he would have been drenched in sweat. The sun hadn’t set when the building came into view. Everyone remained silent as they passed the ruined remains of what had been Atlanta. Very few structures still stood. Only a few dotted the landscape above the rubble. It was a miracle the building Triston had chosen still stood.

As the convoy approached Triston slowed his pace. The strange feeling he had from the night before had returned. As they approached their destination, someone was watching.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an original work I've had for a very long time. I've written and rewritten it so many times that it's hard to explain all the changes that have occurred. This is only the prologue, but i would still love to hear your feedback. I hope you all enjoyed it.


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